As referee Mark Clattenburg blew the final whistle of Monday night's Chelsea v Tottenham match, a "small" club from the middle of England completed the greatest Cinderella story in history and were officially crowned Barclays Premier League champions. An eight-month long campaign, which felt like a dream, finally became reality. The greatest underdog story in the history of sports was awarded its happy ending. Haven't heard of the Leicester City story? Listen up.
After miraculously surviving last season's campaign, Leicester City were favorites to be relegated from the BPL, while having 5000/1 odds to win the Premier League. Essentially, Leicester City winning the BPL was less likely to happen than Kim Kardashian becoming the POTUS in 2020, someone finding the Loch Ness Monster, or Elvis Presley being alive today. For those who watch sports other than soccer, it is significantly less likely than the Philadelphia 76ers or the Cleveland Browns winning their respective championships. But Monday night, around 5:00 PM Central Time, we learned that anything is truly possible in the world of sports.
But this remarkable story didn't begin in August, at the beginning of their season. It began last April.
With nine weeks remaining in last year's season, Leicester City found themselves at the bottom of the table. Usually, at this time of the season, the bottom team (like Aston Villa this year) will roll over and accept defeat. Remarkably and unexpectedly, the Foxes finished 7-1-1, and somehow survived their first season in the BPL in 10 years. For the"small" clubs, simply surviving a long BPL campaign is considered a success. But, looking forward to the beginning of next season, bookkeepers, analysts, and fans all expected the same, if not a worse result for the Foxes.
But, contrary to everyone's expectations, the Foxes stormed out of the gate. Leicester City was at the top of the table on Boxing Day, only suffering two defeats at the time. A "small" club with a starting 11 worth around 30 million pounds was winning one of Europe's most distinguished leagues. As the middle of the season passed, belief and doubt began to compound.
Yet, as the long season strolled on, Leicester City never rolled over. Besides losing to Arsenal in February, the Foxes kept their winning ways -- defeating the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool on the way to their first EPL title. On Sunday, Leicester needed only three points to clinch the league title. But, they weren't able to clinch the title that day, drawing at the Theatre of Dreams. As a result, the anticipation of finally seeing the British Cinderella crowned their title on Monday night reached its peak.
After an incredible, back and forth, 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, Leicester City was crowned the kings of England. The moment the final whistle was blown, the small town in midland England would change forever. A "small" club with limited finances beat the big boys; which was the first time a non-top-five team -- a team other than Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd., Man City, Liverpool -- had won the EPL crown since 1995.
Looking back after a crazy, yet incredible EPL season, it's still hard to believe the Foxes won their title. Every weekend, I would wait for them to fall, but they never did. The Foxes became lions; striking each opponent to their death and always fighting no matter what the score was. This Leicester team will be remembered for being Cinderellas, but their incredible campaign will unfortunately be discounted as a bad year for the "big boys."
But, if there is a lesson to learn for soccer fans worldwide, it is this: money can buy talent, but it can't buy heart. This Leicester squad was the epitome of that statement. A squad full of "rejects" and "misfits" defeated groups of expensive players with desire and work ethic. A squad worth roughly 30 million pounds defeated teams worth over 500 million pounds in one of the most solid title races in the past decade.
Now, all we can ask is, "Can they do it again?" Yes they can. By winning the EPL title and reaching the UEFA Champions League, Leicester City will have a massive amount of finances to fuel their title defense. This next season will bring a new challenge for Leicester. They will need to find a way to balance the EPL campaign and Champions League, but if this season was any indication of their abilities, there is no doubt the Foxes can achieve that.
The second challenge Leicester City will face is keeping their star players. Already, teams including Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona have called the Foxes about Mahrez, Kante, and Vardy. "Small" clubs have always had a disadvantage when it comes to player retention; luckily, Leicester may be able to keep their stars around to begin their title challenge and to chase Champions League glory. Regardless, these past two seasons, Leicester City has exhibited their incredible scouting network, along with discernment in their signings. Even if they were to lose the likes of Mahrez and Kante, it's hard to believe the Foxes won't find another gem in the transfer period.
The third challenge is simply fighting through another Premier League season. There hasn't been a successful title defense in the Premier League since 2009, when Manchester United won their third title in as many years. The EPL campaign is grueling and presents many challenges alone. This year, Leicester was able to remain healthy throughout the season; it may not have the same luck next season. Also, teams will have three months to prepare for Leicester City's counter-attacking football, which could obviously change the Foxes' fortunes.
As this Premier League season comes to an end, there is nothing we can do but appreciate Leicester City's magical season. There are many, including Leicester fans, who believe this will never happen again. But, the Foxes taught us this year that anything is possible. Leicester City gave soccer fans the greatest Cinderella story in the history of sports. But, as they raised the trophy Saturday afternoon, we must realize that they are no longer Cinderellas, they are champions.
