Strange But True: Andrea Bocelli Performs On Filbert Way

The heavens opened and the Italians rained down on King Power Stadium during the 2015/16 season. We had Claudio Ranieri to start, an abundance of pizza in the middle – when we kept a clean sheet, that is – and, on the final day of the season, dessert: Andrea Bocelli, legendary Italian tenor, served up as the cherry on top of the cake to serenade the Foxes supporters on Filbert Way.

For opera fans out there, it seemed an odd crossover. After all, Bocelli’s previous concerts included performances for royalty, at the Sydney Opera House, and even at the closing ceremony of the Olympics. A far cry from the streets of Leicester.

But Bocelli made his desire to come to the East Midlands known just prior to the season's conclusion. “My passion for football has no limits,” he told a national Italian paper. “And this Leicester season caught my eye. A small team becomes great thanks to the strength of the group spirit – how do you tell me not to get caught up by this?”

Naturally, City rushed at the chance to welcome him at King Power Stadium. And so on 7 May, 2016, with overwhelming joy from those in the stands and on the pitch, Andrea Bocelli, arm in arm with his friend Claudio Ranieri, was welcomed to a sea of blue at his most unlikely gig yet.

The stadium fell uncharacteristically to a hushed silence as the Italian tenor provided the soundtrack for the greatest day in Leicester City’s history. The lyrics of Nessun Dorma perfectly encapsulated the indomitable spirit and unyielding belief that had propelled the team to unimaginable heights. Aptly, Bocelli changed the words in ‘Time To Say Goodbye’ to ‘Time To Win Again’ in a moment of romance matched only by the love-affair of the season.

For those lucky enough to have been there on that hair-raising day, Nessun Dorma still rings in our ears. Even all these years later.