Leicester Coach Says Score ‘Not Important’ for Saturday Game

Buddhist Monks pay their respects Wednesday at at Leicester City Football Club in Leicester, England. Photo: Mike Egerton / Associated Press
Buddhist Monks pay their respects Nov. 31 at Leicester City Football Club in Leicester, England. Photo: Mike Egerton / Associated Press

LEICESTER, England — Leicester manager Claude Puel says the result of his team’s Premier League match at Cardiff “is not important” as the players attempt to switch their focus to matters on the field following the death of the club’s owner in a helicopter crash.

Leicester’s players and staff have been offered grief counselling after Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four other people were killed when his helicopter spiraled out of control as it left the King Power Stadium following a Premier League game on Saturday.

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After canceling an English League Cup match scheduled for Tuesday, Leicester will return to action in a league match at Cardiff on Saturday – the day Vichai’s funeral begins in his native Thailand.

Puel says “the result is not important, but our desire, our actions to give our best on the pitch to honor our chairman is the most important thing.”

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Puel said Thursday that a meeting was held on Monday to allow the players to “speak and share” their feelings on what the French coach said has been “one of the hardest weeks in the history of this football club.”