‘Leicester owner told me family was more important than football’

Cardiff defender Sol Bamba tells Tom Morgan of his debt to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha

Seven years ago, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha told Sol Bamba what really matters in life. The Ivory Coast defender had only recently moved to Leicester City when he nervously mentioned to his chairman that his wife was about to give birth in France. The Thai billionaire’s reaction was instinctively generous: “Forget about the game. This is the time for family.”

“I remember saying, ‘I want to play’ but he said, ‘No, family is more important than football’,” says Bamba. “That said everything about the man he was. He was so good to me and my family.”

Bamba’s former boss will dominate his thoughts today, when Leicester travel to his current club Cardiff City for their first game since Srivaddhanaprabha died, along with four others, when his helicopter crashed at the King Power Stadium last Saturday.

Bamba was given his first break in England by Srivaddhanaprabha at Leicester and spent six months living in a flat next door to his son, Aiyawatt, known as “Top”. In the penthouse above them was then manager, Sven-goran Eriksson.

After training, Vichai, Top and Bamba often had coffee together. “You could talk about everything,” Bamba says. “He would make you so welcome. He was always there for whatever you needed, for family. That to me meant so much more than football. To me, the person is No1, the way you conduct yourself is so much more important.”

Bamba said the owner would often let players use his helicopter. “We knew as soon as he bought the club that that was the way he travelled. I know a few of the lads when they needed to go away would use it. You would never imagine for a moment that this could happen.”

He has been in touch with Leicester ahead of today’s game. “It must be so difficult for them,” he said. “It’s difficult for me and I’ve left the club. I’m sure he would have wanted them to play.”

Football was put into its proper perspective by last weekend’s events, but Cardiff know how important games such as today’s are in the context of their mission to avoid relegation.

Since arriving in the top flight, Cardiff have been humbled by Liverpool and Chelsea and outclassed by Manchester City, but a thrilling 4-2 win against Fulham has given the club belief that they are a match for the teams around them, especially at home. Bamba has faith that Neil Warnock, Cardiff ’s veteran manager who signed him from Leeds two years ago, can achieve survival.

“The minute we started working together, we said we were going to get to the Premier League. That meant working with each other, respecting each other and making sure we look after each other when things go wrong. It’s made us stronger and stronger. He [Warnock] is like a father figure because it goes beyond football. We can talk about anything, and he gives me a lot of advice – about life, the kids, how to save money.”

Paris-born Bamba’s Premier League graduation came late. He made two appearances for Paris St-germain before going on to play for Dunfermline and Hibernian. He joined Leicester before continuing his European journey by signing for Trabzonspor in Turkey and then Palermo. He says he is now happier than ever. Eriksson, his manager at Leicester, “was far too nice”, he says. Warnock’s management style reminds Bamba of his strict Ivorian family upbringing. The manager has twigged that Bamba can take a rollicking for the team’s benefit.

“I remember when I first came to the club we went to play Newcastle and I think it was 0-0 or 1-0 at half-time,” he says. “He came to me in the tunnel and said, ‘Listen to me, I’m going to shout at