By SHIVE PREMA
You’d be forgiven for confusing Fox Sports with the History Channel lately.
That’s because Leicester City FC has written history, lifting the English Premier League trophy despite starting the season at odds of 5000-1 for the title.
The silverware was guaranteed when title-chasers Tottenham Hotspur drew with Chelsea two weekends ago, leaving Leicester untouchable at the top of the table with just one match to play.
In their last home game of the season over the weekend, the cunning Foxes were out for blood, thrashing Everton 3-1.
Star striker Jamie Vardy returned after a two-match ban and his influence was immediate, scoring just five minutes after kick-off and again later in the game from a penalty, just one behind Harry Kane’s Golden Boot tally for this season.
Post-match, the celebrations were in full swing when captain Wes Morgan finally lifted the Barclays trophy at King Power stadium for the world to see.
This achievement cannot be understated. The Premier League is host to the biggest clubs in the world and yet Leicester, a relatively small club with a humble player budget, has taken the title.
To put that in perspective, Manchester United has spent more on player salaries in the past two seasons than Leicester has in its entire 132-year history.
It’s the ultimate underdog story: Leicester went from zero to hero, from relegation to revelation.
Club going up
In 2014, Leicester won the English Championship and returned to the Premier League after a 10-year absence.
Leicester narrowly managed to escape relegation in their first season back, winning seven of their last nine games to finish 14th in the 2014-2015 season.
Going into the 2015-16 season, new manager Claudio Ranieri had humble aspirations. “Our goal is to maintain Leicester in the Premier League,” he told BBC Sport.
Yet here we are.
Leicester has gone on to win the English Premier League and has thus secured a place in the UEFA Champions League next season.
The Ranieri effect
The cautious, charismatic and clever Ranieri led Leicester City to victory in his role as manager. The Italian found himself in the city that lies on the River Soar in 2015 after being sacked from the Greek national team in 2014.
Ranieri was nicknamed “the tinkerman” before his time at Leicester because of the many adjustments he made to his squad during his time at Chelsea between 2000 and 2004.
At Leicester, on the other hand, he has been more consistent. He made just 27 changes to the starting XI all season and used fewer players than any other team.
Ranieri is a laid-back manager and even treated the team to a pizza-making (and eating) class once they achieved their first clean sheet of the season.
Despite Leicester’s success throughout the season, Ranieri adopted a one-game-at-a-time philosophy, stopping short of admitting Leicester’s aims to win the league until late April.
Squad goals (literally)
Leicester had what the big hitters didn’t this season – a hardworking, cohesive team that succeeded in all areas of the game.
Leicester’s defence, anchored by central duo Robert Huth and Wes Morgan, fundamental in the 14 games the team has been able to grind out with a one-goal lead, as well as goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel’s competence in keeping 15 clean sheets.
Meanwhile in midfield, stand-out performances from Danny Drinkwater and N’Golo Kanté cemented Leicester’s dominance.
The hardworking Kanté has had an exceptional season, making 152 interceptions and 117 tackles – more than any other player.
Riyad Mahrez’s magical ability on the ball was the bane of many defences, winning him the PFA Player of the Year award with 17 goals and 11 assists.
Vardy was paramount to their success. He scored 24 goals this season, 13 of them over 11 consecutive games to break Ruud van Nistelrooy's EPL record of scoring in 10 league games in a row.
To put the icing on the cake, Vardy and Drinkwater both received maiden call-ups to the England squad in 2015/16.
The future looks bright
The raucous crowd chant "Jamie Vardy’s having a party" now sounds like a prophecy, and that means a lot for the city that calls King Power Stadium home, the team and the Premier League.
What was just a humble city in the East Midlands at the start of the season has become a household name.
Gone are the days when Leicester residents would have to say "not far from Birmingham" to explain exactly where Leicester is.
Leicester winning the EPL also presents a huge change in mindset in the way we think about the Premier League.
The Premier League champions' circle is quite exclusive with only other five teams having won, but Leicester has proven the title is there for the taking for any club willing to dream the impossible dream.
They have proven that its not just possible, but achievable – and that will inspire all clubs, big and small.
There is the potential that bigger clubs could come sniffing around for some of Leicester’s players given their stellar performances this season, especially Mahrez and Kante.
However, the prospect of experiencing Champions League football next season should be enough to encourage players to stick around for the ride.
As Ranieri has put it: “We’re in the Champions League man! Dilly ding, dilly dong!”
Could we see Leicester winning UEFA Champions League next season? Unlikely. But if there’s one word to describe Leicester City, it’s “unlikely”.
Barca. Paris. Bayern. Watch out. Leicester’s coming for you.