Off the wire
• Australia's five-cent coin at risk of being discontinued due to inflation  • Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, May 3  • Argentinian soccer referee Pitana will be at Olympics  • What makes Rio 2016 torch special?  • Bremen crush Stuttgart 6-2 in German Bundesliga  • Feature: First U.S. cruise ship arrives in Cuba for historic voyage  • Syrian refugee to carry Rio 2016 Olympic torch in Brasilia  • Leicester City wins English Premiership  • Rio 2016 torch to begin 95-day Brazil relay  • Maduro loyalist sees no chance of referendum before December  
You are here: 　 Home

Party time for Leicester city as club crowned kings of football

Xinhua, May 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Bedtime was cancelled in Leicester Monday night as the city's football club was officially crowned championships of the English top flight for the first time in its history.

Thousands of citizens in Leicester watched a late kickoff clash between London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, knowing the result of that game will make history in Leicester.

Spurs needed a victory at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge to keep alive hopes of catching up Leicester City.

The kickoff at 8 p.m. BST meant the people of Leicester, more than 140 kilometers away in the East Midlands region of England, had to cling on to every second of the match in the country's capital.

The waiting was over after 90 minutes plus six agonising minutes of extra time, with a 2-2 draw enough to secure championships for Leicester.

There was singing and dancing in the city as revellers celebrated a moment of football history. The cheering was loud enough to wake even King Richard III whose remains were laid to rest just months ago in a Leicester Cathedral.

People took to social media to express their delight. James Sharpe wrote on social media "there is a cacophony of car hooters blazing all around the streets of Leicester. It can never get any better than this."

City Council officials say the victory will put Leicester on the global map, adding millions of dollars to the city's tourism income.

The victory guarantees a place for Leicester in the financially lucrative European Champions League next season.

Within seconds of the final whistle, Leicester City FC was proclaiming its title win on the club's official website.

"For the first time in the club's 132-year history, Leicester City are the champions of England," the club announced.

Local newspaper hailed the success as the most amazing sports story, with the team ranked 5,000-1 outsiders at the start of the 2015/16 season completing the most astonishing feat ever in English sporting history.

The celebrations will continue Tuesday. Due to meet Everton for its last home match of the season this weekend, the celebrations may have to be out on ice. Endit