Leicester City’s Championship-winning squad are being whisked off for a three-day holiday as a present from chairman Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha.
City lifted the Championship trophy for a record eighth time on Saturday afternoon following their 2-0 loss to Blackburn, and will parade the silverware around the city centre on Sunday. But from there, they’re jetting off to celebrate.
There have been post-season trips to Thailand previously but this time the squad are not going to the chairman’s home country, manager Enzo Maresca said. Instead, they’re going on a private trip to a so far unnamed destination. That will start three weeks off for Maresca before he begins to plan for next season.
“Now we have a holiday with the chairman, he invited us for three days,” Maresca said. “Then I will be with the family for two or three weeks of holiday. Now we have three days off and then we can switch off for a bit. Then we’ll start again. After everything is finished, we can think about the future.”
Maresca got the day he wanted in celebrating the Championship title, albeit City fell short of reaching 100 points and a record-equalling 32 wins by losing to Blackburn at the King Power Stadium on Saturday. But while there was joy everywhere you looked as the squad headed off on a lap of appreciation, Maresca said “relief” was his overwhelming emotion.
City had been favourites to win the division and looked like they would coast to top spot. But a two-month stumble saw Ipswich and Leeds gain ground before City came good at the end.
“It’s relief,” Maresca said. “You feel responsible of the club and these people. Less than one year ago, they had a very bad moment compared to what this club has achieved in the past 10 years. The relegation was very sad for everyone. They deserve it. Also the chairman, he deserves it because he’s a very good person.”
