Youri Tielemans’ second-half screamer allowed Leicester City to win their first ever FA Cup and will not only go down in history as one of the best goals in an FA Cup final.
It will also finalise Leicester City’s disruption of the Premier League ‘big six’, this season.
Leicester City Win First Ever FA Cup Beating Chelsea
Leicester City’s Owner at the Heart of Foundations Set
Amid the on-pitch FA Cup celebrations, Leicester’s owner, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha embraced those who had brought the club its first piece of silverware for five years.
Fans have never felt so disconnected from their football clubs after the Premier League ‘big six’ joined a European Super League. The emotive scenes of Leicester’s full-time celebrations painted a sharp contrast to recent protests by other Premier League fan groups. Naturally, fans of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and even Newcastle United, will be jealous when drawing comparisons between their owners and Leicester’s.
As an owner, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, cultivates Leicester’s underdog spirit, continuing his father’s legacy. A public-facing owner is held to account, vulnerable to criticism. Perhaps this is why so many Premier League owners choose to operate in the shadows. They hire various executives, while rarely communicating with the club’s fanbase. This only broadens the gap from the owners down to the different stakeholder groups, as there is a distinct lack of relatability.
Even after Leicester crashed out of the Champions League places late last season, the club backed their manager, Brendan Rodgers. While the Foxes might not share the same ruthlessness as the clubs around them, the ambitions are still the same. With their FA Cup finalists, Chelsea, usually the master of short-term targets. Leicester’s FA Cup win is a testament to their patience for a long-term vision.
Transfer Policy
Leicester’s transfer policy has been key to achieving their recent success. The Foxes method sees them consistently buying players for a low price and then selling them on for a high profit.
Essentially Leicester have shown qualities of a stepping stone club. They develop players to become Champions League quality, then sell them on to their Premier League rivals. Leicester have to be willing to let go of their most prized assets at the right time. Timing is key, as the players need a good balance of Premier League experience and form.
Riyad Mahrez and Ngolo Kante led Leicester to their Premier League title win. Both players then collectively went for a profit of £85 million.
More recently, Harry Maguire cost Manchester United £80 million. Leicester signed Caglar Soyuncu for a fee of £20 million. The Turkish international has since turned out to be the ideal replacement.
Leicester also make good use of their academy, selling Ben Chilwell to Chelsea for £50 million. In the long run academy graduate, Luke Thomas looks the most natural fit to be Chilwell’s replacement at left-back.
With Leicester’s FA Cup glory coming five years after their Premier League title win. The club have shown its possible to achieve footballing success in a sustainable fashion.
You could also argue Leicester have now become more sustainable and should rank alongside the Arsenal’s and Manchester United’s of the world.
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