The Impossible Dream: Leicester City’s Premier League Win

Welcome back to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. In this week’s episode, co-hosts Jonthan Wilson and Rob Draper are joined by Sports Journalist and author Jonathan Northcroft to take a look 10 years on from that extraordinary and famous Premier League win! They frame the story around key pivot points, including the Valentine’s Day defeat at Arsenal and the self-belief it sparked, plus Ranieri’s unexpected decision to still grant the squad a holiday. Northcroft traces the longer build-up through the 2013 Watford play-off heartbreak, Nigel Pearson’s cross-department reset, the 2014 Championship-winning platform (and the later FFP breach), and the club’s smart recruitment and early data use that delivered players like Kanté, Mahrez and Okazaki. They cover Pearson’s departure after off-field incidents, the scepticism around Ranieri’s appointment, his “dilly ding” media touch, rivals’ crises, standout wins over Liverpool and Manchester City, Spurs’ chase, and the city’s all-in celebrations as the miracle became real.06:35 Origins of the Build10:39 FFP and the Promotion Debate11:35 Recruitment and Data Edge17:36 Kante and Mahrez Backstories22:22 Pearson Great Escape and Exit26:10 Ranieri Arrives Against the Odds27:46 Dilly Ding and Pizza Psychology35:24 Chelsea Chaos Unravels41:42 Big Clubs in Crisis45:02 Vardy Volley and City Statement47:37 Leicester Media Frenzy53:30 Spurs Pressure and Title Night59:19 Leicester Celebrates as One01:04:30 Bonkers Finale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.