Leicester's crowning moment is nigh

The King Power Stadium will stage Leicester City's coronation as Premier League champions on Saturday when Claudio Ranieri's miracle team receives the trophy after its final home game against Everton.

Tottenham Hotspur's 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Monday, which confirmed Leicester's extraordinary 5,000-1 success, sparked jubilation in the streets of Leicester and a party at the home of star striker Jamie Vardy, where the players had gathered to watch the match.

The festivities have continued across the week, with the squad dining out at a city-center restaurant on Tuesday, but Saturday's game presents an opportunity for players, staff and supporters to unite in communal celebration of a feat that has captivated fans around the world.

Ranieri has admitted he is torn between urging his team to power over the line and wanting to enjoy the moment, saying on Thursday: "Inside me there are two people.

"One is very aggressive - I want to win. I won the Premier League, but now I want to win on Saturday. I want to win next season - and is never satisfied.

"Another says: 'Claudio, how many managers are there in the world? Too many. Not everyone can be Sir Alex Ferguson, (Fabio) Capello, (Carlo) Ancelotti. You are having a very good career.'"

The renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will set the tone with prematch renditions of Nessun Dorma and Time to Say Goodbye, honoring a recent promise to his countryman Ranieri.

After the match, the trophy will be presented to Leicester captain Wes Morgan by lifelong supporter Steve Worthy, who won a competition organized by league sponsor Barclays.

He is dedicating the experience to his 97-year-old grandmother, Gladys Knight, who had to forfeit her season ticket this season due to ill health.

"When I hand the Premier League trophy to Wes Morgan I'll be thinking of my grandmother," Worthy said.

Vardy returns

The 25kg trophy, topped by a golden crown, will be decorated with ribbons of blue, for Leicester, and yellow, representing the royal house of Thailand, which is the country of club owner King Power.

Morgan will become the first Leicester skipper to hoist a major trophy since Matt Elliott lifted the League Cup 16 years ago and the 32-year-old centerback has already been picturing the moment.

"I am going to try to hold back the tears," said the Jamaica international, a Leicester player for four years.

"It is going to be very emotional."

On the pitch, Leicester will welcome back 22-goal top scorer Vardy after he was suspended for the 4-0 win over Swansea City and last weekend's 1-1 draw at Manchester United, which took Ranieri's men to the brink of glory.

Mahrez wants to stay, says vice-chairman

Leicester's vice-chairman, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, claims Riyad Mahrez has told him he wants to stay with the newly crowned Premier League champion.

Mahrez's future was thrown into doubt when the Algeria international's agent recently claimed it was only 50-50 whether the PFA player of the year would remain at the King Power Stadium next season.

Mahrez signed a new four-year deal in 2015 but has been linked with Barcelona after scoring 18 times to help fire the Foxes to an improbable title.

But with Leicester due to receive the Premier League trophy after Saturday's final home game of the season against Everton, Aiyawatt made it clear he expects to keep Mahrez for his club's assault on the Champions League next term.

"Yes. I think now I want the players to enjoy this moment and not be concerned about the contracts," he was quoted as saying by several British newspapers.

"They are good boys. They are good lads. They understand. Even Mahrez, I talked to him and said, 'Are you concerned?'.

"He said, 'No, no, I want to stay'. This is what he wants. He wants to stay."

(China Daily 05/07/2016 page12)