Thursday, 19 May 2016

LEICESTER CITY PRESENTS PREMIER LEAGUE TROPHY TO PORTRAIT OF THAI KING AS CHAMPIONS' TOUR CONTINUES IN THAILAND

Day two of Leicester's tour of Thailand focused on the country's top institution with a visit to the sprawling Bangkok palace complex of the revered but ailing 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Claudio Ranieri and his side, plus the club's Thai owners Vichai and Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha, presented the Premier League trophy to a portrait of the king and the team then took a deep bow.

It has become common practice for subjects to sit on the floor or kneel to avoid being higher than the king. Thai athletes often present their medals and trophies at the palace as a way to show respect.


King Bhumibol, the world's longest serving monarch, is the object of an intense personality cult and his frail health is a subject of significant public concern.

He is also protected by one of the world's most draconian royal defamation laws, making debate about the royal family's role inside Thailand all but impossible.

Under junta rule in the last two years, use of the lese majeste law has skyrocketed with some transgressors jailed for more than 20 years.

Claudio Ranieri and his Leicester team had received a rock-star welcome as the Premier League champions touched down in Thailand for their end-of-season tour of the club's owners' homeland.

Although some of the team's stars were absent, including striker Jamie Vardy, who has just been named in England's squad for the summer Euro 2016 tournament, Ranieri led the likes of Morgan and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel off the plane.

Leicester players and staff were presented with garlands of orchids and jasmine to wear round their necks and were given the traditional Thai greeeting - the wai - of a slight bow with hands pressed together.

They were then whisked off to the Bangkok headquarters of King Power, the duty-free franchise that made Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha one of Thailand's richest men.

Thai media descended on the Aksra King Power Theatre in downtown Bangkok, where the players were introduced on-stage alongside manager Ranieri and the club’s owners. There the players lifted the Premier League trophy for the hundreds in attendance.

Leicester will probably need to buy three or four players over the summer to compete in the European Champions League, vice-chairman Top Srivaddhanaprabha admitted.

He declined to say how much money he and his father would spend to meet the challenge of a new competition and additional matches - but said there would be signings.

'We know we are going to play a lot of games next season,' said Aiyawatt. 'We have to add some players. Maybe we will add three or four.'

Ranieri said any new signings would not be expensive superstars.

'It's not so important to bring superstars but to bring players like ours, that play with the heart and the soul.'
Leicester's stunning success, built on a team that before the season began included few household names, has captivated football lovers everywhere.

Claudio  Ranieri said Leicester had their eye on several new players, but bringing in big-money signings would destroy the team ethos.

'I don't want to lose the team, this is a family team and we need to find new brothers.'
So far Ranieri said none of his players had requested a transfer. 'It's better for them to stay and have the experience of the Champions League,' he said.

Next season, in addition to defending their Premier League title, Leicester - who were playing in the second tier of English football when Vichai's King Power Group took over in 2010 - will compete in UEFA's lucrative Champions League.

The Premier League is popular in the south-east Asian nation, but most fans follow more storied, big-money rivals such as Manchester United and Liverpool.

Although success has brought more Thai fans, the 'Siam Foxes' support base remains relatively small and many follow the club as their second team.

Only a few dozen fans showed up to greet the team's early arrival on Wednesday at Bangkok's main airport. In contrast, around a quarter of a million ecstatic fans lined the streets of Leicester on Monday for the team's victory parade.

With the world's media focused on the players, the club will be keen to avoid a repeat of last year's end-of-season tour in Thailand which resulted in the club sacking three players for their roles in a racist sex tape filmed on the tour.




No comments:

Post a Comment