Leicester City: The First English Championship Club In The UEFA Champions League?
Leicester City have certainly had a rollercoaster ride over the last two seasons. The team surprised everyone by claiming the Premier League title in 2016: an outcome so unlikely that it cost British bookmakers £25 million ($31.2 million) in losses. The conclusive win was secured with two games left to play, leaving second-place Arsenal trailing by ten points and league favorites Manchester City falling behind at just 66 to 81.
Winning the Premier League also handed Leicester City access to the Champions League for the very first time, where they joined Arsenal, Tottenham and Man City. Now they are the last English team standing at the semi-finals stage. Just like last season's Premier League run, Leicester are the underdogs of the competition and any wager on their winning would be a long shot: but could Leicester have a chance at being the first English team to win since Chelsea in 2012? The lesson learned from last season is to expect the unexpected!
Leicester's first Champions League run
Leicester have had a relatively successful Champions League run so far - despite the fact that their current run of form is D-W-L-L-W, they finished at the top of Group C with two points on second place FC Porto. This was despite a 5-0 win for the latter team when they met in December; the worst defeat for any English team in Champions League history. However, in the same week they managed to pull a victory against Manchester City out of the bag - one of just two wins in the past twelve Premier League games. The other success of that run was also a December game, against West Ham on New Year's Eve.
Leicester City seem able to hold their form in one league or the other, but the challenge of managing both has been tricky for the team. With things looking dire back home, could Leicester be about to sacrifice their place in the top flight, and go all-in to win the Champions League instead? This should not be ruled out, as Leicester have proved themselves a strong wildcard in the past and might be about to do so again.
Leicester's Premier League struggles
When it comes to the Premier League, things are looking pretty dire for the reigning champions. Currently at 15th place with an underwhelming seven wins out of 27 games, it is going to take some real effort for Leicester to avoid relegation and remain in the top flight. Never before has a team gone from winning the league to dropping straight out of it - but Leicester do like to set trends, so perhaps we shouldn't rule this out either. Swansea and Crystal Palace sit just underneath Leicester as it stands, and there are just three points keeping them from taking Hull's spot in the relegation zone.
It's not looking too good for the rest of the season, either. There are some massive games for the team ahead, including Man City, Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool. March's tie against West Ham is sure to play an important role in the final results as well,. It will take a real shift in fortune for the team to keep above that relegation zone - and any hope of a top half finish has already faded.
Leicester to win the Champions League?
So with the dreams of defending the title now a distant memory and Millwall's victory in the FA Cup ruling out any hopes of silverware there, could Leicester now do the unthinkable and win the Champions League? The odds are very much against them: but back at the start of the 2015/16 season, their odds of winning the Premier League matched the chance that Elvis is still alive and well - a staggering 5000/1! If the team can pull themselves out of this recent slump and throw themselves behind their European games, perhaps there is a chance of them going the distance: as long as a little luck along the way allows it.
Of course, this does seem like something of a pipe dream right now. Leicester's recent form has affected the team's ticket sales, with their recent Sevilla home match failing to sell out. Fans are increasingly unhappy with the situation, and the results of this season are starting to affect sales of merchandise, too. "We have seen a significant fall in searches for deals on Leicester City FC replica kits and other LCFC branded merchandise," confirmed a spokesperson from coupon site Frugaa.com. "On the other hand, demand for Chelsea shirts has grown significantly again." Could a Leicester shirt with the Champions League winners' badge on it be the turnaround fans were hoping for?
Possibilities for Leicester
Ill feeling toward the manager is starting to build following a poor response to the open transfer window, and star player Jamie Vardy has struggled to find his form following an incredible previous season. Last year he put 31 goals on the scoresheet and took Player of the Year for his efforts; this year, he has scored seven goals and made just two assists. It will take a miracle to turn Leicester's fortunes around - but if any team knows that miracles can happen, it is the Foxes. Perhaps that Champions League victory is not so unbelievable. If the club is relegated for the 2017/18 season, perhaps Leicester will take the unique honor of being the first English Championship club to take part in the Champions League.
