The football world has been swept like a whirlwind by surprise and disbelief as it witnessed Leicester City FC being crowned champions in what is considered to be the most competitive football league of the world. 

Lest we forget, the cup of the Premiership these last twenty years has been passed on from Arsenal FC to Manchester City FC to Manchester United FC to Chelsea FC and back.  In truth all other clubs had got used to being happy they were either runners-up or managed to squeeze into one of the European tournaments. 

Money it seems has become a dominant factor in this league and the typical innuendo that the ‘rich get richer’ applies perfectly here.  When a team spends around 20, 30, 40 million English Pounds on each player it goes to show how this sports has lost all sense of proportion.  True, some might argue that the return to the competition is immense with all the television rights and the money the whole industry generates.  But this is not a good enough reason for me because we are getting to a stage where amusement has simply disappeared from the game.  

To compound, football news in this country isn’t bright either with some of our own U21 players allegedly accused of selling games and yet another local league game has been flagged up for match fixing. 

If you had to add this to the ridicule that Blatter and Platini have made of the football governing body FIFA and we also put into the fray the ‘betting’ industry, it makes you wonder why one would even bother getting the sports channel in the first place! 

By and large, football has turned into a haven of corruption where the only interest is for scouts to make money, for clubs to exploit, where squeezing every ounce of juice of their players and supporters takes a new meaning.  In all truth, this industry is running out of sportsmanship.  This game is not about sports anymore. The values that encapsulated football are fading away in the horizon; the skills, the abilities, the commitment, the team work, this sense of doing it together is being missed out completely. 

In fact I would say that football in general is already in a state of decay. 

Let’s keep in mind that Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all have players that get weekly wages with six digits.  For example, Rooney gets close to €330,000 a week to kick a ball (which let’s face it he hasn’t kicked it that well either this year!).  Even if the return to the club is massive in terms of advertising, television rights and all the rest, what these players get is insane and goes against the principle of the ‘beautiful game’ and ‘fair play’.  If you had to ask me it is totally immoral.  The wages that these players pocket are simply barmy.  This is really throwing it at the principles of decency and decorum. 

It is a pity that the Leicester City FC story is a lovely flower that sits in the midst of this dump.  But, let’s face it, at least there are some fairy tale endings with ‘they lived happily ever after’ applying itself well.

It seems that for once, Leicester City FC have managed to break this pattern of the ‘big four’ dominance.  Most of its players have modest wages compared to the bigger clubs.  In fact people would not believe that Leicester would see it through until mathematically they managed to win the league.  Some even keep rambling that once they are in the Champions League they will get a drubbing because ‘it was sheer luck’ they would say or else ‘because the big teams did not perform’. 

But I think that their Manager Claudio Ranieri has managed to find a winning formula that will be analysed and evaluated for years to come.  I judge that with the personalities and characters he has developed and if the players remain level-headed and subscribe to Ranieri’s model they would do it again.  On level laying field, if clubs had to emulate the model and science used by Ranieri we will get more of these pleasant ‘surprises’.  These underdogs (and I know something about underdogs as I support Southampton FC) will give football a lease of life. 

Some weeks ago I was watching a very interesting feature on Italian TV where they were trying to understand what made this team hit it off.  I believe it was a mix of elements. It was about crafty work around personalities together with virtuous management!  Football is won when the players and the club can rest assured of the person who is leading them.

Ranieri was incessantly close to his players.  He knew their stories and understood the narratives they brought to the training ground.  Ranieri was humble and he oozed happiness and trickled serenity.  People enjoyed doing whatever task they were called to do at Leicester City, whether it was the groundsman taking care of the grass as if it was his, the players kicking the ball around or the support staff organising media events. 

Ranieri was positive but not imposing.  His emotional intelligence, his understanding of peoples’ soul is clear.  He is a good man, where his ambitions came secondary and he saw leadership as an opportunity to dole out, to share and to give. He would be the last one to take credit.  He made it clear that his role was not to be a thespian but to manage.  Nonetheless he would guide, organise the strategy and create a feeling where every member has equal importance. 

It was fascinating that whilst other clubs and their players were busy counting their profits he was looking closely at chasing every point and addressing every player’s needs.  He made it his mission that every footballer would work his heart out for his team mates, cover for them, chase, run, shoot, shout, support and give unwaveringly. 

Ranieri had a game-plan.  He knew where he wanted to go.  He was ambitious but for the greater cause, Leicester City FC.  He felt responsible and cared for the supporters, the colourful tribe that stood by the team, come rain or shine.  Look what Desmond Morris wrote in his book ‘The Soccer Tribe’ (1981) and how fitting it is:

One of the most striking features of the modern soccer match in Britain is the massed chanting of the Tribal Followers after they have assembled on the terraces.  Some form of chanting occurs at matches all over the world. But nowhere does it reach the complexity of intensity of the performance at British clubs, where the ritual singing if the tightly packed supporters has reached the level of something approaching a local art form.  (p. 304)

Ranieri understood that what matters is not only whether you win or not but that you work collectively for the individual satisfaction.  This is not just about Leicester City FC.  Ranieri teaches a lesson or two in how to accomplish and be a David in this world of Goliaths..