Christian Fuchs insists Leicester's team spirit can see them past Atletico Madrid
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Leicester have taken everything the football world has thrown at them in the last two years and thrown it right back.
Win the Premier League title from an impossible underdog position? Tick.
Top their Champions League group in a competition nobody ever thought they would play in? Tick.
Come from 2-0 down to knock Sevilla out of Europe? Tick.
Survive everything Atletico Madrid could throw at them - on and off the pitch - and escape just a goal down? Tick, tick and tick.
So when Christian Fuchs tells you they have the team spirit not to crack when they stand 90 minutes from the last four of Europe’s elite competition, he needs to be listened to.
(Photo: REUTERS)
Fuchs is the joker in the Foxes’ tight-knit squad with his penchant for egg roulette at the training ground.
The Austrian makes team-mates choose an egg to crack on their head – without knowing if it is hard-boiled or raw.
Yesterday, on Easter Monday, the defender was asked if Leicester would crack under the pressure?
Fuchs responded: “That’s what everyone is expecting from us anyway, what they expected last season of us.
“I think because we have such a great team spirit we don’t let it affect us.
“There’s a lot of pressure all the time, this year it was fighting against relegation and we came out of that.
(Photo: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
“We’re just looking forward to the game and trying to give everything.
“I don’t think anyone loves to come here, nevertheless we are still underdogs and still trying to take our chance.”
Leicester have a 100% record at home in Europe having seen off Porto, Copenhagen, Club Brugge and then Sevilla in the last 16, when they overcame a 2-1 first leg loss.
It has made for some famous nights under the lights at the 32,300-capacity King Power, where City tend to blitz opponents from the first minute.
Atletico are unlikely to be overawed after totally outplaying Leicester last week as the English side failed to have a shot on target and had just 32% possession.
But Fuchs is hopeful of more glory with the Foxes planning memorable banners and other stunts to crank up the atmosphere.
(Photo: Action Images via Reuters)
He summed up the mood among players and fans alike as determined to make the most of this potential once in a lifetime opportunity.
He added: “Being in the quarter-finals is outstanding and being in the quarter-finals as the last British team is also a great achievement.
“We just enjoy the time we have. We might never be here again. We might be at some point again but right now it is simply this one game that we have and we try to give everything to be successful.
“I think the atmosphere is outstanding at home and our fans have proved in the last couple of games they are the 12th man and can carry us to wins.
“They carried us to the success against Sevilla, when I saw the stadium before I knew something special will happen again and I’m fired up and looking forward to it.
“It is something very special to us, we are small Leicester City playing in the Champions League and it is great.”
(Photo: AFP)
Some bookies make Atletico as short as 1–8 on to progress but Leicester are used to making a mockery of odds.
Last season Claudio Ranieri was their favourite to be the first manager sacked before ending up as manager of the year after City defied odds of 5,000-1.
Now the Italian’s successor Craig Shakespeare wants Leicester to upset bookies’ predictions once more after their revival since Ranieri’s exit in February.
Shakespeare said: “They’ve got it wrong in the past and let’s hope they’ve got it wrong again.
“We know what we have to do and let’s hope we earn people a few bob.”
Plus something better than a cash to Leicester fans – priceless memories to last a lifetime.