In recent months, Leicesters 5,000/1 Premier League title charge has drawn only a handful of parallels from English footballs modern era. Nottingham Forests triumphs under Brian Clough in the late 70s and early 80s and, further back, Ipswich Towns successful first crack at the First Division under Alf Ramsey in 1962, are both obvious comparisons. But just 18 years ago on the continent, a similar tale unfolded. The story of Kaiserslauterns 1997/98 Bundesliga win is one less told, but just as unprecedented. Having risen from the second division under footballing miracle-worker Otto Rehhagel in 1997, Kaiserslautern became the only Bundesliga team to win the title after being promoted the previous season.Their success was unthinkable given the mid-90s dominance of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, but Rehhagels first of two major career turn-ups was a masterstroke. Before leading Greece to a miraculous Euro 2004 crown six years later, Rehhagel turned German football on its head, giving players freedom on and off the pitch, and creating a team without superstars. Sound familiar? Otto Rehhagel collects the Bundesliga title after Kaiserslauterns victory Claudio Ranieris buzzword throughout the season has been freedom. Play with freedom, train with freedom, live with freedom - an alien concept to those of us who welcomed the supposed Tinkerman back to the Premier League with widespread predictions of relegation.Jose Mourinho won Chelseas first title in 50 years in 2005 with a rigorous training schedule matched by a meticulous tactical approach. This was chalk and cheese to Ranieris Blues side and his flexible approach the previous season, according to Damien Duff in Graham Hunters Big Interview, but there are no textbooks to winning trophies. Ranieri fell short of silverware during his three-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge, but his current success, and Rehhagels from years past, shows hands-off can be just as effective as hands-on. Parrallels can be drawn between Claudio Ranieris style and Rehhagels approach to the 1997/98 season For Kaiserslautern, the journey to May 1998 started with relegation. Dropping from the top flight in 1996 having won their first Bundesliga title just five years earlier, Rehhagel swiftly took the second tier by 10 points.Andree Wagner, a Kaiserslautern fan who has studied Rehhagels success closely, remembers the time well, and his description of their situation before and during the title success has uncanny similarities with Leicesters.Their relegation into the second division caused absolute agony around the team, he told Sky Sports. Even insolvency was officially discussed.But the goal for the new season was merely: stay in the Bundesliga. The fans loved the team because it was a fantastic mix of players. Fans, team and coach became an absolute union.It was apt that Kaiserslauterns opening game of the season would be at champions Bayern Munich. They won 1-0, but Rehhagel was quick to manage expectations and take the pressure off the players. Kaiserslauterns title-winning side had no superstars Otto gave us our freedom on the pitch, Olaf Marschall, who was their top scorer that season with 21 goals, told UEFA.com last year. He told us the line-up; we did the rest. Everyone helped out in defence, even the strikers, chasing the ball as soon as wed lost it. A bit like Dortmund when they won their recent Bundesliga titles.They earned 33 points out of the next possible 42 up to December, but the title talk was still under wraps, allowing the team to go on without heightened publicity, further helped by Bayern and Dortmunds rocky starts to the campaign. Like Ranieri, Rehhagels coolness and experience from previous high-level jobs helped stem the attention away from Kaiserslautern, but Wagner remembers how inside the camp, the club were conscious of their momentum since the win over Bayern.Marschall was the main man in attack, and Jurgen Rische also contributed to the goals, with young midfielder Marco Reich providing the service, he said.From the first day Kaiserslautern were riding on top of a wave. The fans were high on emotion and the team were playing successfully.But how was that success brought about on the pitch? Like Leicester, it started with industry at the back and yielded deadly results in attack, but with a defensive role rarely seen in football in 2016. Miroslav Kadlec was vital for Kaiserslautern in their title-winning season The sweeper was one of the hallmarks of German football - think Franz Beckenbauer in 1974, Klaus Augenthaler in 1990, Mattias Sammer in 1996 - and Kaiserslautern used it perfectly.Wagner says: Possibly the most important tactic was the implementation of Miroslav Kadlec as the libero, the sweeper at No 5, the independent man behind the defence. This was a special German success story in the national team. It was the key factor for success. Many saw Kadlec as the best libero in Europe, but a man that was very introverted and needed full support from the manager.Kadlec, a 33-year-old Czech international who had been at the club eight years, received that backing, and stood behind the pure, destructive defenders in Harry Koch, Axel Roos and Michael Schoenberg.Swiss international Ciriaco Sforza, a summer signing from Inter Milan, played a major role in midfield, alongside Andreas Buck, Martin Wagner, and even cameos from a young Michael Ballack. While Ballacks status rose after 1998, the other names in this fairytale side are still unfamiliar to most outside of Germany. There were no superstars, and team spirit overshadowed the need for any names to be put in lights. Ratinho (left) and Ciriaco Sforza celebrate with the Salad Bowl Everybody was a boss without being bossy, says Wagner. One player was fighting for the other without being jealous of their success.It was a mix of stars who remained grounded, nobody played the superstar. The result was an unbelievable shock for football in Germany.From December they drew more than they won, but the title was wrapped up on the penultimate day of the season with a 4-0 home win over Wolfsburg, while Bayern could only draw 0-0 at Duisburg.Cue a party for the 80,000-population city that lasted a week. Kaiserslautern was a sea of red, the players banged drums on the roof of their open-top truck, and German football has yet to see a story quite like it.With one hand on the trophy, Leicester should have that party to look forward to, but what will happen after remains a mystery.Never change a winning team, was the motto tied to Ramsey, the man who led England to World Cup glory in 1966, but with the addition of the Champions League next season, that nugget of advice wont stick for Ranieri. If Kaiserslauterns years following the title triumph are anything to go by, the warning signs are clear. Michael Ballack (middle) was let go by Kaiserslautern to join Bayer Leverkusen Kadlec left the club in the summer, along with Pavel Kuka and Andreas Brehme through retirement. Rehhagel failed to replace the departures like for like, and though a respectable fifth-place finish was achieved in 1998/99 along with a Champions League quarter-final appearance, the seeds of disharmony behind the scenes were already planted.The club allowed Ballack to leave for Bayer Leverkusen in 1999, much to the annoyance of the supporters, before Sforza, now captain, publicly criticised Rehhagel and his tactics.He was dropped, then more back and forth between Rehhagel, Sforza and the clubs CEO Jurgen Freidrich ensued, while other members of the squad supported their captain.Rehhagel took Sforza back into the squad but there was no relationship there anymore, remembers Wagner. The coach and captain didnt talk, it was a disaster for the club.The hierarchy within the team began to crumble, and leaders like Marschall, a friend of Sforza, also saw their position weakened because they supported the captain. Rehhagel saw this as an additional attack. Leicester City are on the verge of an unprecedented Premier League title win They finished fifth again in 1999/00 under Rehhagel, but by October 2000, King Ottos reign was over, resigning after what some described as a smear campaign.Kaiserslautern completed the full circle in football terms, slowly stumbling down the table for the next five seasons before relegation in 2006.For Leicester, their Premier League rivals have some making up to do next season, and their push for the top again will undoubtedly encounter more obstacles.As Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho and the other Premier League title-winning managers have declared with experience - retaining is the real challenge. Also See: Leipzig turned down Vardy English football permutations Mahrez: Title race not over Martin Tylers stats Air Max Pas Cher En Ligne . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Air Max Pas Cher En France . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. http://www.airmaxpascherchaussures.fr/ . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. Air Max Soldes . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. Air Max Livraison Rapide . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead.If last weekend provided the title challengers ability to deliver in the big matches then its all about avoiding upsets in the latest round of La Liga action. Sevilla moved second with a hugely-significant 1-0 victory over then leaders Atletico Madrid, while Real Madrid and Barcelona both snatched late winners against Athletic Bilbao and Valencia respectively.Villarreal kept pace with their own comeback win, extending their unbeaten start as we head into the 10th round of fixtures. The odds suggest it should be far more straightforward for the top sides this weekend but it has rarely been plain sailing for the favourites this season...Alaves v Real Madrid (Saturday, 3.15pm)Zinedine Zidanes men may head into the weekend top of the league but they are certainly not firing on all cylinders and there are questions marks over both their defence and the effectiveness of their front three.The Bernabeu is yet to witness a clean sheet this season, while Wednesdays Copa del Rey 7-1 win represented an eighth successive game in which they have conceded. Cristiano Ronaldo has found the net just twice in La Liga Meanwhile, their star men continue to struggle to deliver, with Cristiano Ronaldo boasting just two goals from his six La Liga starts after failing to net in last Sundays 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao.Alaves have struggled for goals this season, with just nine in as many games, but have produced against the best, holding Atletico to a 1-1 draw before beating Barcelona 2-1.Sky Bet prediction: Real Madrid to win and both teams to score - 6/4Atletico Madrid v Malaga (Saturday, 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports)Atleticos title prospects suffered a blow last weekend with Sky Bet pushing them out from 4/1 to 13/2 to win the title.They are only three points off top spot and it would be a major surprise not to see them produce a response against Malaga on Saturday.If they fail to do then the questions will undoubtedly start to creep in over whether Diego Simeones impending exit, with his contract end renegotiated from 2020 to 2018, is having a negative impact on the team. Atletico slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Sevilla last Sunday Malaga may have recorded a 4-0 victory over Leganes last time out to make it seven points from the last nine available, but they are yet to win on the road this season.Sky Bet prediction: Atletico to win and Griezmann to score - 11/10 with Sky Bet Barcelona v Granada (Saturday, 7.45pm, live on Sky Sports)La Ligas primary whipping boys face a daunting trip to the Nou Camp on Saturday evening, with Barca expected to hand out a hammering.Granada have odds of 28/1 stacked against them, more than twice the price of Burnley at Manchester United, with a 4-0 home win deemed the most likely scoreline at 6/1.The leagues bottom side have conceded 17 goals in their last four away games while Barca have scored three or more in nine of their 14 games to date. Messi celebrates his late winner at the Mestalla Theres not too many ways you can get Barcelona at odds-against here but you can get close in backing their two most prolific marksmen both to find the net, with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both to score 10/11.ddddddddddddMessi has scored two or more in four of his last six appearances and he looks a great bet to bag another double at 6/4.Sky Bet prediction: Messi to score two or more goals - 6/4 La Liga Acca Real win and BTTS, Griezmann score and Atletico win & Messi to score twice - 14/1 with Sky Bet Best of the restSevilla kick-off Saturdays action and it would be a real surprise to see them fail to build on their impressive form at struggling Sporting Gijon, who only ended a run of six successive defeats with a draw at Granada.Friday night sees impressive travellers Leganes attempt to record a first home win of the season against a Sociedad side on a run of LWLWLW. Read into that form what you may. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. Then on Sunday we see one of the leagues two unbeaten sides Villarreal attempt to maintain their steadily impressive form at Eibar in the early kick-off.After that, at 3.15pm, Athletic Bilbao look to get back on track against second-from-bottom Osasuna. The Basque outfit have lost three of their last four in all competitions but would have left the Bernabeu with a point last Sunday were it not for Alvaro Moratas late winner. Alvaro Morata nets a late winner against at the San Mames In the 5.30pm fixture, both sets of fans will be hoping for similar excitement to their rollercoaster rides of last weekend.Hosts Betis responded to throwing away their early lead to beat Osasuna 2-1 with a 91st-minute winner from Felipe Gutierrez, while Espanyol came from three goals down at half-time to register a fifth draw of the season, despite ending the game with 10 men.Sunday concludes in Gran Canaria, as a winless-in-five Las Palmas look to halt a Celta Vigo side which have won four of their last five.Then on Monday night we see Valencia attempt to bounce back from their heartbreaking last-gasp 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in a trip to a Deportivo side arriving on the back of two thumping defeats.Best of the rest acca: Sevilla, Celta Vigo, Villarreal and Valencia all to win - 33/1 Also See: Get Sky Sports La Liga video Fixtures Table Revista de la Liga Guillem Balague Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Nike Baseball Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Authentic Cheap NHL Jerseys Canada Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Nike NHL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Football Jerseys Store Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Jerseys NCAA China Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys ' ' '