Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes praises Sheffield Wednesday courage amid off-field 'adversity'
Leicester City manager Marti Cifuentes spoke with admiration for the performance of Sheffield Wednesday after his side were forced to come from behind to beat the Owls on Sunday.
The build-up conversation to the televised clash was dominated by off-field matters, with an overwhelming percentage of Wednesday’s vast travelling support continuing their commitment to protest action by refusing to take their seats until the fifth minute. Leicester fans showed huge support for their counterparts after a summer of chaos that has seen the Owls suffer a spiralling catalogue of off-field issues.
Wednesday took the lead through Nathaniel Chalobah before Leicester hit back twice in the second half to take the win. Manager Henrik Pedersen and vice-captain Liam Palmer both spoke after the match to describe the difficulties their threadbare squad have faced throughout pre-season and to express their pride in the Owls’ effort in matching the title-chasing Foxes for so much of the game.
It was a set of circumstances not lost on new Leicester boss Cifuentes, who speaking to The Star spoke glowingly on Wednesday’s performance - and the defiance shown by the sold-out away allocation in what continues to be a concerning period for the club.
“I would like to give credit to Sheffield Wednesday,” he said. “They fought incredibly well in the 99 minutes and showed pride. It’s a big club, there’s a lot of history and the fans are amazing as well, supporting their team in what is a tough period. So all the credit to them.”
The Foxes utilised a superstar bench of internationals and had the better of two major decisions from the officials; an offside movement from Harry Winks was missed in the build-up to their equaliser before Barry Bannan was controversially sent-off for a second yellow card many believed to be harsh.
The comparative strength of Leicester’s squad and summer preparation ultimately showed as Wout Faes earned the home side a comeback win in the 87th minute. Their Spanish coach said he had expected a fight against the Owls, partly because of what they’ve had to come through in recent weeks.
“I am not surprised,” Cifuentes said on Wednesday’s performance. “We were speaking in the week about this not being an easy game, because it is the first game of the season and there are so many emotions. It is difficult to have a perfect performance in this way.
“I would also say we thought it would be difficult because of the adversity. Human beings have the capacity to stick together and create something more special. Their players were fantastic to fight until the very last minute and we were happy to manage to get the comeback and get the three points.”