A fairy tale that started when Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha took control of a British football club in 2010 ended when his helicopter crashed outside the team’s stadium on Saturday.
After the owner took control of Leicester City, the team moved up through the ranks of English soccer and took home the Premier League title win in 2016 despite starting the season with 5,000-1 odds.
Hailed as part of Leicester’s city fabric, Srivaddhanaprabha was killed when his copter spiraled out of control and crashed in a fireball outside King Power Stadium following the team’s 1-1 draw against West Ham.
“Mr. Vichai didn’t just buy a football club and run it from a distance – he became a part of the city and became much loved here,” said Leicester Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby.
Two members of Srivaddhanaprabha’s staff – Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare – were also killed in the crash as were pilot Eric Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz.
Srivaddhanaprabha, 60, was married and had four children. He regularly used the helicopter on matchdays to travel between the stadium and London.
— Leicester City (@LCFC) October 28, 2018
Family members of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha lay a wreath in memory of the Leicester City owner outside the King Power Stadium https://t.co/surgM3YB4I pic.twitter.com/I1jWowuW62
— ITV News (@itvnews) October 29, 2018
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