'He is always with us': Leicester dedicate FA Cup glory to Vichai
Victorious Leicester players and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate with owner Top Srivaddhanaprabha as goalscorer Youri Tielemans and captain Kasper Schmeichel dedicate historic FA Cup triumph to his late father, Vichai
- Leicester lifted the FA Cup on Saturday after beating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley
- The Foxes celebrated on the field after with chairman Top Srivaddhanaprabha
- Top’s father and former chairman, Vichai, died in a helicopter crash in 2018
- The triumphant players paid tribute to their owners, dedicating the win to them
Leicester chairman Top Srivaddhanaprabha was paraded around Wembley with the FA Cup trophy on Saturday, as the Foxes dedicated the triumph to their owner and his late father.
Youri Tielemans’ second-half screamer was just enough to clinch Leicester’s first glory in the competition, cementing the club’s progress five years on from their shock Premier League success.
The man behind the Leicester fairytale is Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the former owner who tragically died in a helicopter outside the King Power stadium in 2018. His son, Top, has taken charge since, and was made a key part of the celebrations.
Leicester City have dedicated their stunning FA Cup glory to the Srivaddhanaprabha family
Top Srivaddhanaprabha was paraded around the Wembley pitch afterwards with the players
Kasper Schmeichel emerged from the tunnel with the Thai businessman and was met by Wes Morgan and Brendan Rodgers for long, emotional embraces – all before the chairman got his hands on the cup himself.
Meanwhile, a banner honouring Vichai hung in the stands above, emblazoned with the quote: ‘Our dreams can come true… if we have the courage to pursue them.’
‘On the inside of our shirts, we have a picture of him (Vichai). He is always with us,’ Schmeichel told the BBC.
‘For Vichai and for Top, this is what we have talked about for so many years and today, for the fans, it is amazing.’
The Leicester stars dedicated their glory to man who bought them, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
The Thai family are behind the underdog club’s shock rise to becoming a Premier League force
The Foxes are also two games away from sealing Champions League qualification for only the second time, as Brendan Rodgers’ men continue to muscle ahead of the Premier League Big Six.
Tielemans, whose put in a talismanic display to get Leicester over the line, also dedicated his wonder-strike to the Srivaddhanaprabha family.
‘What a moment. I’m really happy with this. I can’t think of a better goal than this,’ the Belgian said.
Youri Tielemans scored the winner in the second-half, blasting the ball into the top corner
‘I did it for all the Leicester fans. Khun’s father would be very proud. It’s his legacy.
‘I’m really happy watching the fans from home. Now we can celebrate. Thank you VAR! What an amazing thing that is. It was tight, but it was offside (the Chelsea goal).
‘I think he (Schmeichel) made two great saves. He kept us in the game. We saw it through. It’s a really big game for us and then hopefully we can celebrate this season.’
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