"?Leicester achieved the unthinkable last season. The 5000-1 outsiders won the Premier League, quite comfortably in the end, with 10 points between them and second placed Arsenal.
All season people kept expecting them to slip up, but the juggernaut just rolled on. In the end they lost just three games, with team spirit and a clear game plan keeping their campaign going as other, more fancied opponents fell by the wayside.
But what happens next? What will a season as defending champions hold for Claudio Ranieri's side? After all they now have Champions League football to content with; more money certainly, but a more congested fixture list to boot.
The Foxes are no longer 5000-1 long shots, with most bookies now putting them somewhere around 20/1 to 25/1 to repeat the miracles of last season. The Manchester and London big guns are still the sides expected to be challenging for the title. But it speaks volumes that the odds are shorter for Leicester to be in a relegation battle "? in the area of 14/1 to 10/1.
Of course much depend upon just who will be lining up for the Foxes when the transfer window slams shut. Jamie Vardy was the subject of considerable interest from Arsenal as he flew out with England for the European Championships. He has since decided to remain, but midfielder N'Golo Kanté found the call of Chelsea too alluring to turn down and is on his way to Stamford Bridge for £32m.
Thus died the Leicester fans' dream (and many neutrals too) of seeing this team stay together to take on the European elite and have a decent go at upsetting the domestic applecart once again.
"The loss of one important player is reasonable," said Ranieri. "I was hoping that everyone would stick with us and listen to my advice, which was to live together the adventure of the Champions League, then everyone could go their own way the next summer. But I understand that a club like Chelsea can't leave you indifferent."
Could Riyad Mahrez be next out the door? Unlike Kanté, the Algerian does not have a release clause written into his contract and has been offered a new lucrative contract. Mahrez was another of Ranieri's star players last season, scoring 17 goals, and attracting interest from Chelsea and Arsenal. It was even reported Barcelona were among those sniffing around the midfielder.
Meanwhile, it is not just the playing staff who are under threat. Leicester have seemingly lost head of recruitment Steve Walsh with Everton having lured him as their new Director of Football. It is believed that Walsh was keen on the move as the Goodison outfit embark on a new era under owner Farhad Moshiri.
So a summer of upheaval seems to be in store for Ranieri as he battles to keep his squad as intact as possible, while searching for players he feels will add to the unique atmosphere he has managed to build. He has money to spend, but bring in the wrong faces and he could risk unsettling the established names.
It will be a delicate balancing act. So far the club has broken its transfer record twice, first in agreeing to pay £13m for Nice midfielder Nampalys Mendy, then splashing out a reported £16.6m for Nigeria international Ahmed Musa.
Leicester fans hearing news of Steve Walsh going to Everton as director of football... pic.twitter.com/XS0Yg30RmB
Who knows what the coming season will hold? Ranieri would probably view a mid-table finish as a good season, anything higher as a bonus, avoiding relegation the bare minimum. I suspect there will be a few bets going on the Foxes claiming a few big scalps along the way though.