The day Leicester became the capital of football

It happened five years ago. May 2, 2016. Leicester, Premier Champion. It was not a dream. It was a lesson for football around the world. On May 3, the fans celebrated in the street, next to the talisman restaurant in the center of the city to which Claudio Ranieri, then coach of the ‘Foxes’, and his players returned that afternoon to celebrate their title. His feat, which moved all those who love this sport.

It was the famous San Carlo restaurant, where just a few weeks ago Ranieri had invited his staff, as part of his way of joining the group, to eat and make their own pizza. One of the stories of that mythical Leicester, whose members lived alirón at a party until dawn at the home of scorer Jamie Vardy. There on May 2 the players saw Chelsea-Tottenham together, whose 2-2 allowed the 'Foxes' to sing the alirón.

Leicester became the capital of football for a few days. It was, in Leicester itself, a story shared by thousands of people of different ethnicities because it is one of the most multicultural cities in Europe, with 350,000 inhabitants and located in East Midland, 145 kilometers north of London. The great Leicester parade of celebration, which took place on May 16, 2016, gathered 250,000 people on the streets of the city.

Coffees with the face of Vardy, blue sausages in honor of the ‘Foxes’ in the market. Tickets to visit the King Power Stadium sold out for months. One fan from Australia to live in the moment and another from the United States. Other Leicester residents from Afghanistan, India, China.

Meanwhile, Spanish fans gathered on Monday to watch Chelsea-Tottenham and celebrate the alirón at the Soar Point and Madeira A Vista restaurants. In Leicester and outside of Leicester, the phenomenon of Ranieri's team became universal.