This was a scene of unity between manager, players, owner and celebrating Foxes fans who were among 21, inside Wembley as part of the biggest domestic sporting crowd since football resumed last June. Premier League winners in , fifth last season, in the top four with two games left this time around, and now FA Cup winners: Leicester's success confirms they deserve to be ranked among England's leading six clubs - despite what those who pursued the ill-fated European Super League might think.
The manner in which they are run and managed means they have every chance of staying there. The lengthy conversation between Khun Top and Rodgers will have been laced heavily with mutual gratitude. The partnership has enabled the manager to embellish an impressive CV with his first trophy in England. Here, at least, Rodgers had been something of a nearly man.
His Liverpool side stumbled with the Premier League finishing line in sight in then suffered bitter FA Cup semi-final disappointment against heavy underdogs Aston Villa in April His Anfield reign, which had held so much promise, ran out of steam. Rodgers resurfaced at Celtic after he was sacked by Liverpool and was an unqualified success, winning all seven domestic trophies available to him in two and a half years at Parkhead, breaking a year-old British record with a game unbeaten run in the process.
There was some surprise in Scotland when Rodgers left for Leicester in February , the boyhood Celtic fan lured away by the ambition of potential success back in the Premier League. He almost took Leicester into the Champions League in his first full season, only to miss out on the final day with a home defeat by Manchester United. But fifth place was, in reality, an impressive return spoiled by a late slump in form.
The scenes at Wembley, and the sheer joy on his face as he took his place in Leicester's history, vindicated any risk in Rodgers' decision to leave a club where he was regarded as a hero - at least until the day he departed. It is highly patronising given his unblemished record at Celtic, but there will still be some who would not have been convinced about Rodgers' quality until he won silverware in England.
There can be no questions any more. He is a high-class operator who has taken the bitter blows of dismissal at Liverpool, rebuilt his reputation at Celtic and is now among the best in the Premier League once more.
The two had studied together for their coaching qualifications. Rodgers moved up to take over as manager of the Chelsea reserve team in Following four years at Chelsea, Rodgers left in November to become first team manager at Championship-side Watford at the age of The Blues were between managers — with Luiz Felipe Scolari sacked and Guus Hiddink appointed but yet to take over properly, so Ray Wilkins was in charge on the touchline.
We went behind in the second half but won thanks to a Nicolas Anelka hat-trick. Having left Watford to return to his former club Reading and then on to Swansea, the biggest defeat Rodgers has suffered against Chelsea came on his first return to Stamford Bridge.
Now Playing. Personal Details Country of Birth. Northern Ireland. Then when I went to Chelsea, Jose made a huge impact around the preparation. We liked to communicate well with players and people, we were both ambitious—wanted to do well—and we always wanted to ensure our work had quality. He was a big reference for me.
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