Leicester Premier League Win Caps a True Cinderella Story – TBT #12
It’s 2015. Leicester City finished the 2014/15 Premier League season in 14th place and narrowly escaped relegation after winning 7 of their last nine games in the English top flight.
Then, in June 2015, during the summer tour in Thailand, three Leicester footballers, including the manager’s Pearson son, got involved in a sex scandal, and the club sacked them because of it. After the unfortunate event, Leicester also sacked manager Nigel Pearson.
In mid-July 2015, Claudio Ranieri joined the Foxes and the Greece’s national team fired him after suffering a devastating loss to the Faroe Islands. It’s safe to say that Leicester City fans weren’t delighted with the club and didn’t have high hopes as they awaited the 2015/16 season.
The odds for the Foxes to win the Premier League are 5000:1.
It’s August 8th, 2015, and Leicester City starts the 2015/16 Premier League campaign against Sunderland. The Foxes win the game 4-2 and are off to a great start.
After the season’s first ten games, they’re 5th on the table, and the fans can’t believe that their team is among the best teams in the Premier League. Fast forward to fixture No. 20, and Leicester City is 2nd on the table. They are battling with Arsenal, Tottenham, and City for the title. Then, in their 22nd game, Leicester is 1st on the table and looks to remain at the top.
From that moment on, for the next 13 games, the Foxes are first on the EPL table. They could win the title if they beat Man United on May 1st. Unfortunately, Leicester draws 1-1 with United, and the PL trophy is not yet in their hands. However, they could win the title if Tottenham, which is in title contention, doesn’t win against Chelsea on May 2nd.
The match between Chelsea and Tottenham is underway. The first half ends 2-0 in Tottenham’s favor. In the 58th minute, Chelsea reduced the Spurs’ lead to 2-1. Then, in the 83rd minute, the Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard scores a stunning equalizer, and it’s 2-2. A couple of minutes later, the referee blows the whistle and signifies the end of the match.
The unthinkable happened. On May 2nd, 2016, the Leicester Premier League win went down in the books as the biggest underdog story in football history. This incredible team became the 2015/16 Premier League champions after numerous setbacks and unfortunate events. It’s a true Cinderella story that will unlikely happen again.
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