In a week that has seen the King Power Stadium shrouded in the familiar, biting chill of January and the sting of another managerial casualty, Aiyawatt (Khun Top) Srivaddhanaprabha has broken a decade of silence to address a fanbase teetering somewhere between disenchantment and nostalgia. With Leicester City languishing in the bottom half of the English Football League Championship, calls for a change in ownership have grown from a murmur to a roar among a growing section of the Blue Army. Yet, for Top, the idea of walking away is not merely a business impossibility: it appears to be considered an emotional betrayal.
"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.Khun 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.
“Leicester is like my son to look after. So I have to do it right. "
To understand why the Leicester chairman will not consider selling, one must look past the balance sheets and Profit and Sustainability (PSR) breaches to the beautiful statue of Khun Vichai (his late father and former LCFC owner) standing guard outside the ground, named by his life's work. The contemporary chair disclosed that he considers the Foxes not an asset to be flipped, but a legacy to be protected and to evolve. In a poignant admission, he likened the East Midlands outfit to a son; one that can be "naughty," "fail exams," or cause "pain in your head". But, ultimately, one that remains family regardless of the turbulence.
A sense of Leicester City duty
There is a profound sense of duty rooted in the tragedy of 2018. The 40-year-old's refusal to sell stems from an apparent vow to complete the vision he and his father shared. He acknowledges the "love and pain" of the current slump, though does insist that exiting now would be an admission of failure he cannot stomach. Top wants to hand over a club that is "in a good place," not one he has left to tumble.
For the Foxes faithful, these words are a bittersweet reminder of the "family feeling" that defined their greatest era. While some may demand new investment or ownership to potentially arrest the decline (in reality, another leader could be worse, or better) Top’s steadfastness suggests that his bond with Leicester is forged in something far deeper than footballing form: a promise made to a father that his work would never be left unfinished.
Nevertheless, there are supporters right to question Top's unqualified appearing leadership. Not to mention the fact that he refuses to relinquish the avoidable 'help' of director Jon Rudkin. Essentially, The Srivaddhanaprabha family deserve a 'last chance' on Filbert Way. But the team cannot simply plummet!
"It’s like a movie, like a super drama on Netflix or something,” he says. For many Leicester fans, however, the past few years have seemed more like a horror film."John Percy, The Telegraph