One defeat in the 2014-15 season sparked a bizarre post-match press conference from then-manager Nigel Pearson.
The 2014-15 season saw Leicester City fight against relegation. During the campaign, the Foxes were beaten 3-1 away to eventual champions Chelsea.
Unhappy with what he saw from the Leicester City first team at Stamford Bridge, Pearson took his frustration out on an unsuspecting journalist.
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Nigel Pearson called journalist ‘ostrich’ during strange post-match press conference
Asked for his thoughts on the contest, Pearson said: “The bottom line is what has given us a chance to survive has been the collective spirit we have. To win four games on the spin at any level, but certainly at Premier League level, is difficult and for the players to have to deal with the amount of criticism and negativity they’ve had to endure over the course of the season has tested us.
“Without wanting to talk too much, the players come out with awful lot of credit for dealing with setbacks and I expect them to deal with tonight’s setback as well.”
Ian Baker, reporter for the Wardle Whittell Agency, asked Pearson exactly what criticism he was referring to. The question annoyed the Leicester City boss and sparked a bizarre outburst in which he called Baker an ‘ostrich’ and said he was ‘daft’.
“I think you must have either your head in the clouds, or been away on holiday, or reporting on a different team, because if you don’t know the answer to that question. Your question is absolutely unbelievable, the fact you do not understand where I am coming from.
“If you don’t know the answer to that question then I think you are an ostrich. Your head must be in the sand. Is your head in the sand? Are you flexible enough to get your head in the sand? My suspicion would be no.”
He added: “Listen you have been here often enough and for you to ask that question, you are either being very, very silly or you are being absolutely stupid, one of the two because for you to ask that question, I am sorry son, you are daft.”
Apology accepted
Although the awkward exchange resulted in Pearson storming out of the press conference, he did reflect on his behaviour soon after and issued an apology to Baker.
“I apologise for last night, Ian. I wanted to do it straight away in front of the cameras,” he told reporters the following day. “I was not happy about losing.”
Baker responded to Pearson’s message on social media and admitted there were no hard feelings.
The journalist posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “I have accepted the apology. Fair play to him for being big enough to apologise.”