Leicester City would have no qualms in returning to Thailand to help celebrate their Barclays Premier League title win but Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, the club’s vice-chairman, has cautioned his players that they must remember the responsibilities that come with their new-found fame.
The club’s trip to their owners’ homeland last year ended in disgrace and embarrassment when it emerged that three players — Tom Hopper, James Pearson and Adam Smith — had been involved in an orgy in Bangkok during which a Thai woman was racially abused. The club moved swiftly to sack all three players.
Leicester’s remarkable success this season has meant that their popularity has ballooned in Thailand — where Srivaddhanaprabha’s father, Vichai, has his King Power chain of duty-free shops — and the club’s owners are keen to thank their Thai fans for their support. Srivaddhanaprabha, though, has made clear that he expects the squad to maintain the highest standards of behaviour.
“Maybe yes,” he said, when asked if Leicester would return to Thailand this summer. “I want them to see the Thai people, how welcome they are. They are massive now and they want to say thank you to the Thai fans. The players need privacy [and rest] as well, but I have talked to them and they know they need to treat everything well.
“You are popular and that is great. People come to see you because they admire you. They want to talk to you. They will talk to you like you are their son. So be proud and enjoy. Do not just think about the privacy [and rest] time.”
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Before that Leicester must finish their Premier League campaign. Claudio Ranieri’s side will be presented with the league trophy after this evening’s game with Everton, an occasion the club are marking by staging a special performance from the tenor Andrea Bocelli and presenting six members of their 1962-63 team, the last Leicester side to challenge for the title, on the pitch.
Walker’s crisps, meanwhile, has produced a special edition — Salt ‘n’ Victory — and Srivaddhanaprabha has promised there will be “many surprises” awaiting supporters.
It comes at the end of a week of celebrations — including a team meal at San Carlo in the city during which they were besieged by supporters and an impromptu bus parade — that followed the confirmation of their title when Chelsea held Tottenham Hotspur to a draw on Monday night.
The club’s manager, though, is adamant his players must not forget that, first and foremost, they have a job to do, threatening to “kill” them if they switch off now that the title is secured. “It is important to clear our minds and keep going,” he said. “This is very sweet but our job is to play. Now we are champions, but Everton want to beat us, so it is right to put our mind on the job. I will kill them [with my bare hands if they do not concentrate]. But I watched how they have trained this week. It was good. I am expecting a very good match.”
