Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has stated that he wants his side to be an inspiration to clubs who want to punch above their weight despite the finances and status.
Leicester will have a chance to win their first ever FA Cup title when they trade tackles with Chelsea this weekend and following the European Super League saga, Rodgers wants his side to stand as “the people’s club”.
The gaffer of the Foxes also insists that lifting the trophy of the oldest competition in club football would further demonstrate Leicester’s ability to inspire other teams.
“It has been pretty clear with the talk around the Super League and super-clubs and how they have been defined, but for us we would love to continue growing to be that people’s club as such: the club that supporters around the country look at and hope that their own club can do a Leicester in challenging the elite of the game,” Rodgers said ahead of the crunch tie.
“We are realistic but also optimistic about what we can achieve even though we don’t have the resources of some of these other clubs. So being competitive and being a club in European football consistently over a number of years would be a huge success for Leicester City and would help the club continue to grow and develop on a worldwide basis.”
Leicester have managed to spend an average of just over £20million every season on transfers since their brilliant Premier League title win in 2016 and have steadily lost top players to others clubs, such as Harry Maguire and Riyad Mahrez, also N’Golo Kanté and Ben Chilwell, who could be in line to feature for Chelsea on Saturday. Rodgers tutored Leicester to fifth place in the English top flight last season and has led them to within touching distance of Champions League qualification this term.
“I think [those feats] gave a notion to the regular supporter – who is in love with football but not so much the business of it – that Leicester can be the signpost for every team that this is what can happen,” he added. “Economically – the way we are run very well as a club – and equally from a performance perspective.
“Most supporters will look at Leicester as a club that gives them hope that one day their own team can be that team as well.
“This story here since winning the title has been one that has gone round the world. What we have tried to do here is build our own map and make the club sustainable. I sense there is a lot of goodwill for a club like us. We are the pioneers for the clubs outside the top six, as such.”
Leicester will go toe to toe against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on Saturday for a chance to claim what will be the first silverware for both sides this season.
