Last night in the UEFA Champions League, a former Leicester City legend made an appearance in the competition for the first time since 2017.
The UEFA Champions League got back underway this week. For Leicester City fans, it was a bittersweet reminder of when they qualified in the 2016/2017 season.
Not only did the Foxes qualify that season, they actually reached the quarter final stage. Even in the quarterfinals, they were not eliminated by Atletico Madrid without a fight.
Since then, Leicester City have experienced a steady decline. They did win the FA Cup some years later but now that they are back in the Premier League, they hope to create even half the memories.
So, which Leicester player returned to Champions League action last night?
Leicester legend returns to Champions League for first time since 2017
Playing for his new club Celtic, Leicester legend Kasper Schmeichel returned to the Champions League for the first time since 2017, when he played with the Foxes.
Celtic beat Slovan Bratislava in their first group-stage match of the new Champions League format. Schmeichel started the match, played its entirety and conceded one goal to Kevin Wimmer.
Of course, Schmeichel is now a player under Brendan Rodgers in Glasgow. He was signed in the 2024 summer transfer window to replace Joe Hart.
Since beginning his new life in Glasgow, Kasper Schmeichel has impressed. The Danish international has been an incredible shot-stopper and had a perfect start to the season, winning every game in every competition with Celtic.
Kasper’s dad, Peter Schmeichel, is famously one of the greatest goalkeepers the Champions League ever saw. Peter won the Champions League with Manchester United in 1999, alongside a plethora of other honours.
It is unlikely that Kasper will win the Champions League with Celtic. It isn’t beyond the realm of possibility (Leicester know about smashing those ceilings, after all) but it isn’t within Rodgers’ immediate goal.
However, Celtic are widely-tipped to reclaim the Scottish Premiership. With some great performances already this season, including against their main rivals Rangers, Celtic look more up for it than ever.
So, from Leicester’s perspective, it will be nice to see Schmeichel involved in another league title win. He is a club legend through and through and there is not a single ounce of bitter feeling between the Dane and Leicester fans.
Next up for Kasper Schmeichel, he will face Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. With a few league matches between then, it will make for an interesting affair when the Hoops face the infamous Yellow Wall.
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