I didn’t think game would go ahead, but now I think it is a good decision
CARDIFF City versus Leicester City will be an emotional occasion this weekend after the helicopter tragedy that claimed the lives of five people including Foxes chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha - and Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock has admitted he didn’t originally want the fixture to go ahead.
Warnock also revealed how he and his players learned of the horrific crash that took place outside Leicester’s King Power Stadium on Saturday night.
After a difficult week which has been ‘strange’ and ‘difficult’ to deal with, the veteran boss now says he’s glad the game has been given the green light as players look to return to ‘normality.
The Cardiff squad were disembarking from the plane that had taken them to Anfield last week when the shocking news came through.
“It was surreal last weekend, we were just landing from Liverpool - we flew to Liverpool - and the news came round and it was just an eerie situation for everyone,” said Warnock.
“I’ve not really felt like that before. Our players were visibly shocked.
“It was a hell of a day for me what with Glenn Hoddle (who suffered a heart attack) earlier in the day.”
Warnock admitted it has put things into perspective after a difficult week of preparation for his Cardiff squad.
He initially wondered whether the fixture could go ahead given the emotions involved, but revealed he’s now happy to be playing. His opposite number Claude Puel said on Thursday “the game wasn’t important”.
“Originally I didn’t think the game would go ahead and if I’m totally honest I was hoping it wasn’t going to go ahead,” Warnock added.
“Monday and Tuesday this week, it was too emotional.
“But I understand now where they are and I think it’s a good decision to go ahead with it now because you’ve got to move on and you’ve got to get people back to normality as soon as possible.
“Their players and our players will appreciate they can give 90 minutes and get it out of their system.
“Life is on such a slender edge and you sometimes take things for granted. I know it’s just a football match and it puts things into perspective, promotion and relegation and all that.
“I think if I’d been the manager of Leicester, I’d have wanted the lads to play to get their mind on other things because it’s such a turmoil. The whole football community have felt the shock and everything that’s gone with it.
“We just made sure they were aware whatever they wanted to do, we would support 100 per cent.
“We’re all behind the players, staff, management, owners - whatever they decided to do tribute-wise and everything else, we wanted to agree to that. It doesn’t surprise me because that’s what our club’s about as well.”
On how the tragedy has impacted the Cardiff squad, Warnock added: “It’s been difficult. It’s like anything else in life, some lads can cope with tragedies and some find it very difficult. Things trigger memories in their lives, what’s happened in the past, and it does rake over old stories.
“It has not been straightforward this week, I haven’t had a week like it before.
“It’s strange as we haven’t been directly involved with everything but the feeling is that we are directly involved.
“Sean Morrison had a couple of meetings with me about the players making sure everything is appropriate with the Leicester players.
“There will be tributes, our chairman wanted to do a tribute from Vincent and everyone at the club, we’ll be having the minute’s silence together, the chairman is going to lay a wreath and there will be moments to reflect for everyone.
“And then somehow the two teams have got to get on with a game of football. It’s an important game for us and Leicester but it is a game of football.
“It seems irrelevant talking about the game compared to the bigger things that have happened this week.”
Meanwhile, Warnock and Morrison have lifted the lid on how two of Cardiff’s ex-Leicester contingent have responded to the tragic news.
Defenders Sol Bamba and Lee Peltier between them spent three seasons at Leicester and knew the owner and his family and have been among those most affected.
“I spoke to him about the situation,” said Warnock on Bamba, who will feature for the Bluebirds.
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“There are still a number of people at the club when he was there. But it wasn’t just Sol (affected) it was everybody.
“When (the news) came to us on the plane it was a really eerie feeling and it makes you realise you’ve got to enjoy every day in whatever your do. Life’s too short.”
Asked whether the tragic circumstances could have an effect on Bamba, Peltier or any other of the Cardiff players, Warnock added: “They might not play well but whoever is fit will be starting and it could have a certain effect on lads, you never know.
“I don’t know what to expect, that’s the honest answer to the question. I don’t know what to expect from us or them. You’d probably have to ask me after the game. I haven’t got a clue what to expect.”
Captain Morrison revealed that Bamba has spoken to various Cardiff players to relay the magnitude of Srivaddhanaprabha’s passing and what the Thai owner did for Leicester.
Players from both sides will pay their respects before the game on Saturday.
“Obviously Sol and Pelts were both at the club and knew the owner, knew some of his family,” he said.