Advertisement
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha: the Thai-Chinese billionaire behind Leicester City’s English Premier League fairytale
- King Power chairman confirmed dead after helicopter crash at stadium
- Known for his common touch with fans of the club he took over in 2010
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the Thai billionaire owner of Leicester City, who died after his helicopter crashed outside the English Premier League club’s stadium on Saturday, will be remembered as the author of one of football’s greatest fairytales.
Vichai, 60, endeared himself forever to Leicester fans when the unfashionable club broke the grip of English football’s traditional giants to win the Premier League in 2016 – the first top-flight title in their history.
The title win, priced by bookmakers at 5,000-1 odds before the season began, put the city in England’s Midlands on the global sporting map and brought glory to generations of long-suffering fans.
Advertisement
The Foxes have been unable to reach the same meteoric heights since, finishing 12th in the following season and ninth in 2017-18.
Advertisement
But they are now firmly established in the Premier League unlike when Vichai took over in 2010 with the club languishing in the Championship, English football’s second tier.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x