Brendan Rodgers cements place among modern coaching greats as Leicester City win FA Cup
The celebrations at full-time painted the perfect picture of what winning the FA Cup means for Leicester City and their fans.
From Jamie Vardy to Kasper Schmeichel to Wilfred Ndidi to Kelechi Iheanacho, everyone was ecstatic and reveling in the moment.
Even the owner of the club, Khun Top, wasn’t left out of the celebrations. The Foxes have come a long way after losing four FA Cup finals in the past.
However, under Brendan Rodgers, they have finally laid their hands on the trophy following a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea in the final.
A special day in Leicester City history
In Leicester City’s 137-year history, fans have always dreamed of a day like this. Having won the Premier League in 2015-16, there was a bit of a decline.
But they are back among the big boys again. Currently occupying third spot in the Premier League table, the Foxes have become perennial top four contenders.
There’s a thin line between an effective team and another that is stable. Leicester City currently boast both attributes and the young team is just getting started.
In Rodgers, the club also has a manager who is building for the long term. Leicester’s starting line-up against Chelsea in the FA Cup final had several players whose ages were below 25.
The Northern Irishman has built a team that is competitive and their victory in the FA Cup could be the beginning of a trophy-laden spell.
Rodgers’ crowning moment
The FA Cup final was a defining moment in Rodgers’ career and he made it count. Having left Liverpool under a cloud, the 48-year-old has since rebuilt his reputation.
He won two domestic trebles at Celtic before resigning to take up the Leicester City job. And, so far, he hasn’t disappointed at all.
"I'm very proud. It's a historical day for the football club, winning the FA Cup for the first time in their history, and clearly a special day," Rodgers told Sky Sports.
"I'm so happy for the players, they were so courageous in the game. For the supporters, who have lost four finals. And for [Leicester owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha] 'Top' and his family, it's a dream of theirs to win the FA Cup and we've been able to deliver that.”
The FA Cup victory was a crowning moment for Rodgers and cements his place as a modern coaching great.