‘Juju’ Behind Leicester’s EPL Success

Leicester City currently sits at the top of the English Premier League, five points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspurs to the surprise of experts who had tipped it for relegation at the beginning of the season.

How the club managed to go all the way to the top had remained a shocker for many football analysts until now that Leicester’s secret weapon has finally been revealed.

According to reports in The Sun UK on Tuesday, a Buddhist monk who hands out lucky charms and blesses the pitch has claimed responsibility as the secret weapon behind the Foxes’ being on the brink of an extraordinary title triumph.

Thai Buddhist monk, Phra Prommangkalachan and several of his colleagues have been visiting Leicester’s King Power Stadium for the past three seasons to bless the pitch and hand out lucky charms to the players. And the good karma being spread is having an effect on the playing squad, he says.“I hang some amulets on their necks and I gave them these fabric talismans.

“I’m not sure if they understood what I explained to them about it, but they knew that it would bring them luck,” 64-year-old Prommangkalachan said.

The connection is that Leicester is owned by Thai duty-free magnate Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, a billionaire, devout Buddhist and a big believer in karma. He facilitated all the religious processes.

Prommangkalachan said: “He brought monks there to pray for auspiciousness and luck in the game, for the management team and the players.”Although initially the visits may have seemed strange to the Leicester players, but the sight of a monk approaching them with gifts is now one of familiarity.

Prommangkalachan said: “They were glad to see the monks going there. They greeted us and joined the ceremony very well. Even though we’re of different religions, we are close to one another like good friends.”

And the squad possess the “stamina and strong mind to play and keep fighting hard” according to the monk.

Speaking to AFP, Prommangkalachan added: “The team will be the number one in the Premier League this year for sure.”