‘What we achieved was unique and is always going to be hard to replicate’: Kasper Schmeichel reveals Leicester are using their historic Premier League triumph to drive them towards glory in the Europa League
- Kasper Schmeichel reveals Leicester’s secret weapon for success this season
- They are using their Premier League win to drive them to Europa League glory
- They will face AEK Athens in Greece on Thursday after beating Zorya Luhansk
Kasper Schmeichel revealed Leicester are using the memory of their historic Premier League and Champions League campaigns to drive them towards Europa League glory.
The Foxes face AEK Athens in Greece on Thursday after beginning their campaign with a 3-0 win over Ukrainian club Zorya Luhansk at the King Power Stadium last week.
It is Leicester’s first season in Europe since they reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2016-17, when they were defeated by Atletico Madrid – a year after stunning the football world by taking the Premier League title. Now they are targeting at least a repeat in the Europa League after missing out on a place in Europe’s main club competition by four points.
Kasper Schmeichel says they are using their Premier League win to find Europa League glory
‘What we achieved was unique and always going to be hard to replicate but you learn to believe and think “you never know”,’ said Schmeichel, who would complete a decade at Leicester if he is still at the club next summer. ‘Experiences like that are amazing but the flip side is that you want more.
‘It’s been a long road back to European football and we were hoping for the Champions League but you don’t always get what you want. We’re here in another amazing competition. These nights are different, they are what you work for.
‘You hope one day soon we can get the fans back, that’s the reason we do it, to have the fans able to travel to Athens. We have to focus on the match and make sure we do it for everyone at home.’
Leicester shocked everyone when they won the Barclays Premier League back in 2016
Jamie Vardy will be available for Leicester when they face AEK Athens in Greece on Thursday
Jamie Vardy has travelled to Greece after scoring the only goal in Leicester’s 1-0 win at Arsenal on Monday, when he was able to play only 30 minutes as a substitute as he had missed the previous two games with a calf injury.
Leicester’s top scorer should, therefore, make his Europa League debut at some stage of this game.
Boss Brendan Rodgers added: ‘Jamie Vardy is available. The plan was to play him in the last 30 minutes of the game.
‘The dynamic changes when he is on the field because such a world class striker. He is ready to play if selected.’
