Leicester City Chairman Aiyawatt 'Khun Top' Srivaddhanaprabha has issued a defiant message to the Foxes faithful. He reaffirmed the club's 'not for sale' status, despite the turbulent challenges of recent seasons. In a series of candid admissions in groundbreaking combined interviews, Top made it clear that walking away during a difficult period would be a betrayal of the progress achieved since his family took ownership in 2010. For the City chairman, the club is an integral part of his life; he has no intention of abandoning the project his late father began before returning the team to its former heights. This steadfast refusal is deeply personal, as Top purportedly views the King Power outfit like a son.
Father figure
The 40-year-old sees himself not as a temporary custodian - but as a fatherly figure responsible for the organisation's well-being. Noting that you do not discard siblings or parents when situations get tough, nor when a 'child fails an exam'. Central to this resolve is the duty to honour the legacy of Khun Vichai. To sell now, Top believes, would be to leave his father’s vision incomplete.
Would he ever sell Leicester City Football Club?
The only scenario in which the owner would supposedly consider an exit is if a rich prince were to emerge with the sovereign wealth to transform Leicester into a global powerhouse akin to Manchester City. Any sale would only occur if Top were convinced that the hypothetical 'new owners' could take the side to a level he can no longer reach alone.
"Selling the club is not the way to exit,” Top says. “I have to make sure that I complete everything that I did here before I want to leave. Now I need to make sure the club is in a good place.Top - Leicester Mercury
“If some prince comes in, maybe yes, and the club can be like Man City for example! But I am sure that is a long, long way to go. I still love it here, I want to make sure the club is successful again."
Ironically, Top himself occupies a similar space in Thailand, though not a royal by blood. His family’s immense influence and the name bestowed by the late Thai King render him an informal prince of Thai commerce, if not LE2.