Claude Puel Praises Foxes' Intense Performance During Draw in Honour of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha

11 November 2018 08:44

Claude Puel believes Leicester City honoured their late chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha with an intense performance during their 0-0 draw with Burnley at the King Power Stadium.

It was the Foxes' first game since the tragedy two weeks ago which took the life of Srivaddhanaprabha, with tributes being paid by the club and their fans both before and during the game.

Leicester City v Burnley FC - Premier League

​Leicester had a number of chances early on in the game with ​Jamie Vardy having his effort cleared off the line before a Rachid Ghezzal header crashed off the crossbar just minutes later. Chances then became few and far between in the second half with Shinji Okazaki having the best chance for a winning goal, however he couldn't direct his injury-time header on target.

Speaking to ​Sky Sports after the game, Puel admitted he was proud of his players after their strong performance against ​Burnley and admitted they've matured after the events in recent weeks. He said: "There's a lot of pride for my players because they played a strong game against a good team and defended very well.

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"We created a lot of chances with the best intensity. Our performance was brilliant in the first half with lots of chances, we hit the post and the bar. We are unlucky in the end, a little disappointed, of course, because we wanted to honour our chairman with a win.

"But the most important thing about our performance was the desire on the pitch, our work was stronger than a win, draw or loss. It was a good performance for my players and I am proud of that. It's a difficult situation to manage. The players have learnt a lot from these difficulties and have matured. That is a good thing and a good reaction."

It was an emotionally charged day at the King Power Stadium with a video in memory of Srivaddhanaprabha played before kick off on the large screen, and Puel went on to praise all the tributes that have been made in recent days. He added: "It's like a family and there's a connection.

Leicester City v Burnley FC - Premier League

"The last game away against Cardiff was a fantastic moment. They paid tributes to our chairman. It's like a family, they also gave their best, they pushed us a lot. But the most important thing is to give our best all the time, like this game. I have no regret about this because sometimes draws happen, other times we will win. 

"We conceded one chance from a set piece in the whole game and created fantastic chances. But this is football, we have to respect the opponent. The most important thing now to honour our chairman is to play with the intensity and mentality all the time."

Leicester City v Burnley FC - Premier League

Leicester will now look to regroup during the international break and go again as they prepare to face Brighton at the Amex Stadium in search of their second win in three ​Premier League games.

Source: 90min