The logo of the newest Premier League champs, Leicester City! (©atg images | @Dreamstime)
The English Premier League is one of the toughest soccer leagues on the planet. Every year, 20 teams play 38 matches, all in the hope that they'll win the title (known as the Premiership). In theory, each of these teams has the same chance to win.
But in reality, that's not really the case.
In fact, between 1995 and 2015, only one of the same four teams had won the league: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
So, when the 2015-2016 season began, everyone excepted something similar to happen. Why? Well, because it always does. And besides, these teams (as well other big English clubs like Tottenham and Liverpool) have the most money and the longest traditions... and therefore the best players! Of all the teams that anyone thought might win, the tiny club of Leicester City F.C. (that stands for football club, in case you're wondering) was very low on the list. If they were on anyone's list at all (which they honestly weren't).
A tale of two Christmases
After all, during Christmas the previous season (in 2014), Leicester were the worst team in the entire league! How could they possibly beat some of the richest teams in the world? But when the Premier League's new season opened in August 2015, Leicester started well. Very well. By Christmas of 2015, they were now at the top of the league. That's quite a turnaround.
That's very nice, thought the experts, but surely the team will collapse. They're not possibly good enough stay on top until the end of the season!
But Leicester didn't listen. Jamie Vardy, their top striker (that's the goal-scoring forward position), not only won the goal-scoring title this year, he broke the record for scoring in the most consecutive games in Premier League history. And Leicester themselves? Well, last night, as second place Tottenham's match ended in a 2–2 draw with Chelsea (meaning they could no longer pass Leicester before the season ended), little Leicester won the whole league.
Turns out, the whole team was watching the Tottenham-Chelsea match from Vardy's apartment and the end of the game is on video. (Get ready for their reaction! Do they seem happy to you?)
So congrats to the Leicester City F.C. Foxes! There's still nothing like a great underdog! (Or is that underfox?)
