The most astonishing story in the history of football reached its climax last night as Leicester City were crowned champions of the Premier League.
Hailed as the most romantic fairytale that the game has ever witnessed, a low-budget club outwitted the big hitters to clinch the title as Tottenham Hotspur, the only team with a chance of catching the East Midlands club, were held to a 2-2 draw by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Claudio Ranieri, the avuncular and popular Leicester manager, was on his way back from Rome where he had been visiting his 96-year-old mother as Chelsea, the club he was sacked from as manager 12 years ago, fought back. Controversially two Chelsea players had said they wanted Leicester to win the title.
The new champions’ side, which cost a tenth of the Chelsea team, had gathered at the home of Jamie Vardy, their leading scorer, near Melton Mowbray to watch the game. Their celebrations had been delayed when they could manage only a draw against Manchester United on Sunday.
This time last year Leicester narrowly avoided relegation and bookmakers had offered odds of 5,000-1 against them becoming champions this season.
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Cynicism deepened when Ranieri, 64, was appointed since the Italian had been sacked as manager of Greece after some humiliating results.
He had, though, inherited a squad high on morale and by Christmas they were top of the table.
Even so, few commentators believed they could sustain their success and Gary Lineker, the Match of the Day host and former Leicester player, promised to present the show in his underpants if Leicester won the league.
The story has captured the imagination of the film industry and casting has already begun for a biopic of Vardy, who was yesterday voted the Football Writers’ Association player of the season.