Top 10 Leicester Football Club moments of 2016

2016 is ending and with it goes undoubtedly the greatest year in the history of Leicester City Football Club. Though the year as a whole is much maligned, us Foxes fans will always have a special place for it in our hearts.

We here at Fosse Posse wanted to commemorate 2016 in a fun way, so we decided to pick the 10 best moments of the year for LCFC. Of course, with strict calendar year parameters set, much of last season’s title winning campaign is disqualified. Still, there was PLENTY to choose from, so please enjoy.

10. Leicester competes in star-studded preseason

This might technically be more than one moment, but what’s a Leicester list without a little rule-bending. After all, they are the team that won the money-driven Premier League with a minuscule budget (though thats more of an unwritten rule).

Not that any of the preseason performances were overly impressive, but seeing Leicester compete against the likes of Barcelona, Celtic, and PSG in venues across the world served as confirmation that we had, in fact, not dreamed up that last season.

Competing against Manchester United in the Community Shield as champions of the Premier League was its own not-so-subtle reminder as well. And it was at the famous Wembley Stadium no less. Mad.

Photo by Nils Petter Nilsson/Ombrello/Getty Images

9. Leicester show signs of life against Manchester City

One season removed from the glory of the title and the Foxes are struggling to cope with new expectations. However, the best moment of the current domestic season came against Manchester City.

Coming off the back of a 2-1 loss to lowly Sunderland and a 5-0 thrashing by Porto, Leicester stunned Pep Guardiola’s Citizens. The team exploded out of the gate, making it 2-0 in just six minutes. Jamie Vardy and the Foxes looked like last year’s model and gave us all hope that we can salvage the season and avoid a relegation scrap.

8. Dilly Ding, Dilly Dong

A legendary catchphrase is born. Even if Claudio had used it before, this is when it really became legend.

It isn’t on the list for any great significance, either. Just pure fun. What a treat our manager is.

7. Leicester showered with year-end accolades

Mahrez won BBC African Footballer of the Year. Mahrez and Vardy finished 7th and 8th respectively in Ballon d’Or voting. Ranieri won BBC SPOTY Coach of the Year. And, of course, Leicester won BBC SPOTY Team of the Year.

And they deserved every single one of those awards.

6. Jamie Vardy scores the goal of the season

And of a lifetime really. Vardy’s volley erupted off of his foot with undeniable force, sending Leicester supporters everywhere into a frenzy. I myself had to control my emotions and restrain myself from yelling in the middle of a class.

If this didn’t alert people to the fact that Leicester were legitimate title-contenders the next one surely did.

5. Leicester thump big-bad Manchester City

And the whole world simultaneously realized that Little Leicester could actually win the Premier League. The Foxes outclassed the Premier League giants in just about every way imaginable at the Etihad. Big Robert Huth bagged himself a brace and The Magician scored a wonder goal that showed him at his absolute best.

4. Leicester City enter the Champions League with a bang

In my opinion, this is the greatest moment of the current season and I’m not sure anything else comes close. Sure, handedly beating Manchester City is more impressive than beating Club Brugge, but the magnitude of the situation is enormous.

LCFC showing their class on the biggest stage in club football has been remarkable, and Marc Albrighton opening the club’s Champions League scoring account is the perfect symbol for it.

3. Andrea Bocelli becomes an honorary Fox

Leicester’s story was already romantic enough to win over people from all parts of the world, but Andrea Bocelli’s voice surely thawed the hearts of even the most cold-hearted cynics. When Piers Morgan - an avid supporter of second-place finishers Arsenal - calls it “one of the greatest moments in football history,” you know it’s magic.

2. Jamie Vardy’s most infamous party

Listen to those shrieks of joy from Fuchs and the squad. The pure elation in that room was truly amazing to watch. The Foxes of Leicester City had finally completed the unthinkable, yet - until this exact moment - increasingly unavoidable feat of becoming Premier League champions. That real-time realization shown in the video will be eternally iconic.

Thank you Eden Hazard, you beautiful little man.

1. Duh

The moment it all came together. The moment Sir Claudio became a top-flight champion. The moment the Fearless Foxes were crowned. A forever untouchable achievement reaching its apex.

What more can be said? Simply, thank you.

Thank you to Leicester City Football Club for supplying an un-hyperbolic lifetime’s worth of thrill in just one calendar year.