LEICESTER: Thousands celebrated and millions around the world looked on in wonder as 5,000-1 underdogs Leicester City completed arguably the greatest fairytale in sporting history by becoming English Premier League champions.
Second-placed Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea late on Monday was enough for last year’s relegation battlers to seal a scarcely credible title after outshining some of football’s most glamorous teams.
Leicester’s season of 22 wins out of 36 games and just three defeats means they become champions with two games to spare, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool all trailing at a distance.
After fighting off relegation last year and being rated 5,000-1 for the title at the start of the season, Claudio Ranieri’s Thai-owned side have now pulled off a shock rated by many as the biggest seen in sport.
The modest Midlands club are England’s first new champions since Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest in 1978, and their surge in the world’s most watched football league has won them admirers across the globe.
Dancing fans waving blue and white flags poured onto the streets of Leicester, while footage on Twitter showed the team celebrating wildly as they watched Monday’s game at the home of talismanic striker Jamie Vardy.
The players can now look forward to another title party when they lift the trophy at their King Power Stadium following Saturday’s home game with Everton.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’ve never known anything like it,” said Vardy. “We were scrapping to stay in the league last season and on Saturday we’ll be lifting the trophy.
“It’s the biggest achievement in the history of a great club and we all feel privileged to be part of it.”
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