Unraveling the Fairy Tale: Leicester City's 2015/16 Triumph

One of the most remarkable tales in football history was told during the 2015–16 Premier League season when Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City won the league title against all the odds. 5000/1 underdogs at first, the Foxes set off on a journey that captivated supporters all around the globe.

Manifest Destiny

A thrilling 4-2 win against Sunderland to open the season suggested something remarkable was about to happen. Leicester's aggressive, direct play style and strong defense then established the tone for their season.

With their stunning victory in the Premier League in 2015–16, Leicester City stunned the football world. With 81 points versus Arsenal's 71 in second place, they finished 10 points ahead of the pack under manager Claudio Ranieri.

To put the championship season in perspective, bookmakers placed the Foxes at 5000/1 odds to win the league before the season even began.

Jamie Vardy also became the first African international to win the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year title, and he established a Premier League record for most consecutive league games with a goal—11 straight.

Highlights of Leicester City's 2015–16 campaign

Fascinatingly, Leicester City's 2015–16 campaign was devoid of numerous game-changing, iconic victories. Rather, they were the most reliable squad in a season when many elite clubs were struggling.

Actually, Leicester City suffered losses to Liverpool on Boxing Day and both of their games against Arsenal, who were in second position. Still, these were their only three defeats as they prevailed over the other teams in the table after drawing with a number of elite teams.

May 1 saw a 1-1 tie with Manchester United; the championship was mathematically secured the next day after Tottenham lost points against Chelsea.

Where are the Leicester City title winners now?

The majority of Leicester City's 2015–16 championship-winning squad members are no longer with the club.

In 2024, the team will really only have two players left: Marc Albrighton and Jamie Vardy, the striker. Vardy is still a key member of the team, but in 2023–24, Albrighton will only play on the bench. 

Midfielder N'Golo Kante was the first player to make a big-money transfer in the wake of the championship season. He left for Chelsea that summer and quickly became a crucial player who would win many titles; however, injuries hindered him. A year later, fellow midfielder Danny Drinkwater joined Kante at Chelsea in an infamous high-profile transfer that backfired horribly in 2017.

Riyad Mahrez is the player who has made the club the most money; his 2018 transfer to Manchester City brought the Foxes a whooping €67.8 million.

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel stayed on for a while before leaving for Nice in France, while captain Wes Morgan and defender Robert Huth would both leave Leicester City at the conclusion of their careers.

On the left side, Ultimately, Christian Fuchs joined Charlotte FC, a new Major League Soccer team, and after leading the American team through its first season, he retired and joined their coaching staff.

Additionally moving on, manager Claudio Ranieri left the team in 2017 and spent time throughout Europe, most recently with Serie A team Cagliari after playing for Nantes, Fulham, Roma, Sampdoria, and Watford.

What happened to Leicester City after winning the EPL title?

Even more unexpected than the race for the title was Leicester City's ability to continue being a major Premier League power. It was always going to be difficult for Leicester City to convert their incredible season into a regular contender.

Their ability to strike it big with many player purchases, such as N'Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, and Christian Fuchs, and their eventual regression or departure to larger clubs, which would be inevitable, was a major factor in their unexpected success.

The end was gradual but predictable, falling from the lofty heights of 2016.

With the exception of one season, Leicester City finished in the top half of the league in the next seasons, showing obvious indications of a last decline before being relegated at the conclusion of 2022–2023.

They will be expecting to move up the Premier League standings once again now that they are back.

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