The 2015-16 Premier League was special for so many reasons.
Not only did Leicester City pull off the greatest-ever sporting upset to be crowned English champions for the first time, but the King Power Stadium were treated to a spine tingling performance by Andrea Bocelli.
The Premier League’s final day on May 7th, 2015 saw the Italian tenor mark the Foxes’ incredible title win with a live performance of ‘Nessun Dorma’ and ‘Time to Say Goodbye’.
Andrea Bocelli sings ‘Nessun Dorma’ and ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ to celebrate Leicester City winning 2015-16 Premier League title
Bocelli opened his performance with his version of Giacomo Puccini’s ‘Nessun Dorma’.
Although Pavarotti is the opera singer most associated with the aria, Bocelli has also helped to make it famous.
The Lajatico-born tenor flawlessly performed ‘Nessun Dorma’ in front of a sold-out King Power Stadium.
The near-33,000 fans were wowed by the Italian’s amazing vocals in what has become one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history.
What Claudio Ranieri said about Andrea Bocelli
Ranieri recalled that day during an interview with Sky Sports the following year.
Explaining how Bocelli — a man until then he didn’t know well — called him to tell him he’s been following Leicester City’s campaign, Ranierei said: “He said to me, ‘Claudio, I feel something’. I said, ‘Oh, you do?’
“Yes, I feel something, Claudio. I want to come there to sing something. When is it possible?”
“So I told him to come on May 7, for our final match at home. We had already done more than anyone expected of us, so even if we did not end up winning the title, we’d still be able to say hello to all of our supporters and thank them for an amazing season. I told Andrea, ‘This could be a good day!’
“For two months, I looked forward to Andrea’s concerto. Never did I expect that on that day, he would be singing a duet with the Premier League trophy. But our players were fantastic, and our fans were fantastic, and we stayed on top.”
Going on to explain the events that took place at the King Power Stadium, Ranierei added: “On May 7, Andrea came to perform for little Leicester City, champions of England. I stood next to him as he began to sing. And at one point, he grabbed my hand and leaned into me.
‘Oh!’ he said. ‘It’s fantastic! This emotion … it’s fantastic!’… And he was right.
“It was happiness. For me. For the players. For the people of Leicester. But even the most beautiful piece of music eventually has to come to an end.
“Over the years I’ve learned that, to be a good manager, you need to have passion, and you need to have a strong character. Without those things, the job is very, very difficult.”
Ranieri’s experience with Leicester City remains the pinnacle of his career and is an achievement which may never be matched.