5 underdog league triumphs to inspire Leicester City

The duo leading the Leicester City charge - Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. Football is the most romantic of games. Or, at least it was. Nowadays, a lot of people grumble about rich clubs paying exorbitant transfer fees and obscene salaries in order to secure championships, and build dynasties. But, through all the grumbling, football always provides us with moments to remind us why we love this game so.This year, it’s the improbable EPL challenge of little Leicester City Football Club. The deadly pace of Jamie Vardy and the silky skills of Riyad Mahrez, backed by the steel of N’Golo Kante, they are now in with a real shot of achieving immortality after dispatching Manchester City 3-1 away from home.With the whole world backing the Foxes to achieve the impossible, here are 5 equally impossible stories of teams that have done it before:

#1 Atletico Madrid (2013-2014)

Atletico Madrid end the decade long dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Diego Simeone achieved the impossible with the other club from Madrid – Atletico. Diego Costa announced his presence as one of the finest strikers on the planet with an explosive campaign, banging in 27 goals, while Koke was the creator in chief with 13 assists.

But, it was a defensive masterclass over the course of 38 games that allowed Atletico to end the decade long domination of their hated neighbours – Real Madrid – and Barcelona.

Conceding just 26 goals all season, on loan Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois was an impregnable wall behind a defence lead by the best player of the season – Diego Godin. In addition to his astounding defending, he also scored the crucial goal that held Barcelona to a draw on the last day of the season, and allowed Atletico out of Real’s shadow for the first time in 18 years.

#2 Montpellier (2011-2012)

Giroud fired Montpellier to the Ligue 1 title in 2011-2012.

Montpellier’s triumph in the 2011-2012 was one of the biggest shockers of the season, as this was to be the first triumph of the Paris Saint-Germain dynasty. Following Lille’s unexpected league triumph a year ago, this was the PSG’s moment in the spot light. Except, Olivier Giroud and co. decided that they were having none of it.

On the back of an incredible season by the French striker, where he scored 21 goals and created 9 more, Montpellier just refused to back down from the heavy weights. Rene Girard proved himself to be a wily manager, as he built a well-oiled machine who churned out results week in and week out. Younes Belhanda who established himself as the premier playmaker, playing just behind Giroud whose performances earned him a move to Arsenal in the summer.

Finishing 3 points ahead of a PSG team that would go on to dominate French football in the years to follow, and a Lille team boasting the mercurial Eden Hazard, this truly was an underdog’s tale.

#3 Lazio (1999-2000)

Lazio captain Alessandro Nesta and Giuseppe Favalli celebrating their second Scudetto win.

A strange Serie A campaign, where Lazio and Juventus fought tooth and nail all year long, and come the final day of the season, Juve – needing a win to be crowned champions – lost 1-0 to Peruggia on a pitch that was more water than grass, with some sketchy refereeing to say the least.

But, I digress. While the final day did have some controversy in Turin, the blue half of Rome was alighted with joy. With Sven-Goran Eriksson at the helm, Lazio had achieved two very important goals – they had secured themselves a first league crown since 1974, but more importantly they had won a league title in the new millennium before their most hated rivals from the Eternal City, Roma.

A truly gifted team consisting of faces that would become household names in the years to follow – the likes of Alessandro Nesta, Pavel Nedved and Juan Sebastian Veron – it was still a mighty achievement to wrest the title away from the Old Lady, as well the two Milanese clubs of Internazionale Milano and AC Milan.

#4 1.FC Kaiserslautern (1997-1998)

Future German captain Michael Ballack at 1.FCK.

1.FC Kaiserslautern. One of the old guards of German football, had just been promoted from the second division of the German Bundesliga, and were tipped to be in a relegation battle for their lives. What actually happened was a story for the ages.

With the legendary Otto Rehhagel in the hot seat, 1.FCK decided to rip up the script and march on to their first Bundesliga title since the 1990-1991 season, becoming the only team to win the Bundesliga the year they were promoted.

This was a landmark season for a number of reasons. Olaf Marschall scored a remarkable 21 goals in just 24 appearances, but this was also the season that a young German midfielder by the name of Michael Ballack made his Bundesliga debut, and went on to become a key member of the squad.

Andreas Brehme – Germany’s best ever left back also bid adieu from the game, finishing a glittering career with one last hurrah – yet another German league championship with little old 1.FC Kaiserslautern.

#5 Nottingham Forest (1977-1978)

The man responsible for the golden age of Nottingham Forest - Brian Clough.

Brash, arrogant, and brilliant at his job. Not Jose Mourinho, but rather Brian Clough. The man who masterminded Nottingham Forest’s golden age.

When Forest were promoted at the end of the 1976-1977 season, most people tipped them to go straight back down, and this was in small part due to how much Clough was disliked outside of his beloved Forest. Armed with England’s greatest goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, and some fabulous performances from youngster Tony Woodcock as well as Kenny Burns, in his inimitable fashion, Clough converted into a defender of all things, Forest were unstoppable.

Suffering just 3 defeats in a 42 game season, they finished comfortably ahead of Liverpool for their first ever English League title, and also bagged a League Cup in the process.

We will never see anything like it ever again, in all probability, but in the meantime, I’ll gladly cheer on Leicester City.