Maresca ‘Proud’ To Work Towards Khun Vichai’s Vision
Khun Vichai was one of five people who passed away on the evening of 27 October, 2018 when a helicopter crashed outside King Power Stadium following a Premier League fixture against West Ham United. Pilots Eric Swaffer and Izabela Lechowicz; and staff members Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, also lost their lives on an evening which touched the hearts of people around the world, inspiring emotional outpourings of grief and expressions of togetherness at home and abroad.
Tuesday’s match against Sunderland will see supporters of both teams participate in a moment of applause to remember everyone lost in 2018 – staged during the Club’s closest home fixture to the five-year anniversary of an evening which will be forever remembered at Leicester City. That tribute is one part of a week’s remembrance in honour of five loved members of the LCFC family.
Maresca, appointed as the Foxes’ Manager this summer, was in fact a part of Manuel Pellegrini’s visiting West Ham coaching staff at King Power Stadium on the night of the tragedy. Now inspiring an exciting new dawn at Leicester City, the Italian spoke on Monday afternoon about his own memories of that evening on Filbert Way and Khun Vichai’s inspirational legacy at the Club.
During his Chairmanship, the Foxes achieved the unthinkable – following promotion to the Premier League with a stunning English title triumph in 2016. A magical run to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League brought more precious memories to the people of Leicester, who also benefited from Khun Vichai’s immense kindness of spirit. The late Chairman donated over £4M to local causes, helping to improve the lives of people in need across the Leicestershire region.
“First of all, every time something like this happens, it’s always sad,” Maresca told reporters. “My memory about this, probably you don’t know, but that night I was at the stadium. I was working with West Ham on the bench that night, so I remember it perfectly.
“This kind of thing has no colours, or teams. When something like this happens, it doesn’t matter where it happens, it’s always bad news, always sad. My memories are about sadness.”
The former Parma manager says it is a privilege to be entrusted with leading the Foxes into the future, with Khun Vichai’s vision remaining a key cornerstone of the Club’s strategy. Led by Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Leicester City are committed to protecting his father’s legacy and forging a future which will bring pride and distinction to King Power Stadium for years to come.
“The legacy they are showing as a family, for the Club, is unbelievable,” he added. “You can see it clearly here. We went for pre-season in Thailand and, out there also, it’s unbelievable. I feel very proud to be a part of this rebuilding. The legacy is unbelievable, the way they continue to try to do things. All the Leicester fans have to be proud about this. It’s not easy to find people who want to invest and to continue the legacy in the way they are doing.”