Foxes fairytale make headlines worldwide
Leicester City's remarkable Premier League triumph after starting the season as 5,000-1 outsiders to win the title made the pages of the press around the world yesterday.
Leicester clinched the English league title for the first time in their 132-year history on Monday night when second-placed Tottenham Hotspur drew with Chelsea, leaving them too far behind the leaders with only two games left to play.
Praise poured in from around the world for Leicester, who were on the brink of relegation last season.
France Football led with the news that "Leicester has achieved the impossible," while Germany's Bild said: "Europe's biggest football sensation - Leicester's title miracle is real."
Major US newspaper the New York Times' article, "Leicester City Completes Rise by Clinching Premier League Title," drew attention to their meteoric rise after flirting with a drop to the Championship last year.
Norway paper VG answered the question of "What Does the Fox Say?", a Norwegian number one single by Ylvis, by saying "Cha-Cha-Cha Champions".
The British press reports were no less glowing. From Metro's "Zeroes into heroes" to "history makers", Claudio Ranieri's men were lauded all round. The Foxes' dream run was given a Shakespearean touch by the Guardian, who declared the side "Kings of England" with a picture of Richard III, whose bones are buried in Leicester.
The Times feted a "fairytale finish for champions Leicester", while the Daily Express claimed that the Foxes have "pulled off greatest fairytale in football history". The Daily Telegraph meanwhile hailed "Leicester's miracle men crowned Premier League champions".
Bear in mind however that this is a team which costs less to assemble at a total of 54.4 million pounds sterling, than signing one Kevin De Bruyne who was purchased at 55 million pounds, Luis Suarez at 65 million pounds or Gareth Bale at 93.1 million pounds.
Accolades were also heaped on manager Claudio Ranieri, who has never won the top-flight title before in his 30-year managerial career.
He was "King Claudio" in his home country Italy's La Gazetta dello Sport, which portrayed him as a Romanesque statue, while Tuttosport hailed him the "King of England". Corriere dello Sport joined in by hailing the monumental achievement.
Catalan-based sport daily Marca featured Ranieri alongside the headline 'Ole Leicester!' The 64-year-old manager spent four years working in Spain with spells at Atletico Madrid and Valencia.
Comments