Leicester prints 30,000 masks in protest at Jamie Vardy’s ban

Leicester City fans discovered quite a treat when they turned up for the English Premier League champion’s home match against Everton Monday.

Not only were the soccer club’s Thai owners offering free mince pies, plus the prospect of a t-shirt giveaway at halftime, but the stadium seats were adorned with 30,000 masks.

The Foxes’ supporters were not expecting to see Jamie Vardy in action on Boxing Day – last season’s top scorer is suspended – but his face was plastered all around the ground.

Unlike the pies and t-shirts, this was not such a gesture of festive goodwill from the club – officials were bitterly disappointed to lose an appeal against his three-game ban for a sending-off against Stoke this month.

Chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha had described the English Football Association’s ruling as “unfair” while manager Claudio Ranieri said after the 2-2 draw on December 17 that Vardy did not deserve a red card.

Vardy sat with Srivaddhanaprabha and fellow suspended players Robert Huth and Christian Fuchs during Monday’s game, which ended in a 2-0 defeat.

Both player and club have struggled to repeat last season’s form, in which Vardy scored 24 league goals as Leicester – formed in 1884 – won its first English title.

The 29-year-old, who turned down an offseason move to Arsenal, ranked eighth in the 2016 Ballon d’Or awards.

He was caught on TV cameras Monday wearing his mask – as was English FA chairman Greg Clarke.

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The defeat left Leicester in 16th place, three points above the relegation zone and 29 behind leader Chelsea – which won 3-0 at home to Bournemouth.

Two goals from Pedro and a penalty from Eden Hazard gave the London team its 12th successive league win, beating its club record.

Manchester City moved up to second place, seven points behind Chelsea, after winning 3-0 at lowly Hull. All the goals came in the second half as Yaya Toure netted a 72nd-minute penalty, substitute Kelechi Iheanacho scored from David Silva’s cross six minutes later, and Curtis Davies put the ball into his own net in time added on.

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Arsenal stayed nine points behind Chelsea with a 1-0 win at home to West Brom, thanks to France striker Olivier Giroud’s 87th-minute header.

Manchester United joined fifth-placed Tottenham on 33 points with a 3-1 win at home to struggling Sunderland as Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 12th league goal this season.

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The Swede’s late cross also set up Henrikh Mkhitaryan, returning from injury, for a spectacular backheel strike.

Crystal Palace drew 1-1 at Watford in its first game under former England manager Sam Allardyce, who replaced the sacked Alan Pardew.