Leicester City: A true underdog story
May 3, 2016
This is why we love sport.
Leicester City FC have won the Premier League title in one of the greatest sporting stories of all time.
After almost being relegated from England’s top football league last season and starting this year at a near-impossible 5000/1 to win the league, the Foxes achieved what no-one thought they could. Led by manager Claudio Ranieri, they worked hard as a team, focused on their own performances and in the end, clinched the Premier League after winning all but three league games all season. Their road to glory has been described as a ‘fairytale’. In nine unforgettable months they have turned an 'Impossible Dream' into reality by claiming their first top-flight title in their 132-year history.
Their closest challengers were London-based Tottenham, as well as Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United. However, the heavyweights of English football all failed to match the Foxes' consistency across the season.
Praise for their astonishing achievement was quick to flood in from all over the world. Even British Prime Minister David Cameron congratulated LCFC on “an extraordinary, thoroughly deserved, Premier League title".
Leicester's unbelievable journey is symbolised by 29-year-old striker Jamie Vardy who rose through non-league football until Leicester paid £1 million for him in 2012. He is now an England international, broke a Premier League record after scoring in eleven consecutive matches, and was named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year yesterday.
Later this year, thousands of journalists from around the world will be tasked to nominate their standout sporting athletes and teams of the 2016 sporting year. Whether the whole Leicester City organisation or standout individual players like Jamie Vardy or Ryad Mahrez clinch a Nomination, this achievement will go down in the history books as one of the greatest sporting stories.
The year is far from over but do you think Leicester City deserve a Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award or even Laureus World Team of the Year Award? Let us know on Twitter using @LaureusSport!
