Leicester City

We'll leave you this afternoon with the final words from Claude Puel.

"Vichai's wife and his son came for the first time with us and they shared the first moment to honour Vichai with us in the stadium.

"We paid a tribute to see the place of the helicopter, we came on to the pitch to put flowers on centre, we saw and we shared this feeling with the fans."

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"On the pitch we will give our honour to our chairman.

"About our conviction we will be ready but I hope we can find the good balance between conviction and emotion in this game because if we remain just one emotion it will be different of course."

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Puel was then asked if his players are ready emotionally to play on Saturday: "On Tuesday when we came back to training, I asked the players to show if they can train and if they want to train .

"In the gym or not wokring out. To take their opinion and about how they were feeling and it was a fantastic feeling to see all my players on the pitch.

"I have 27 players in my squad and all the players wanted to train and give their best to remember their chairman and that was a fantastic feeling to be together.

"It is important to share this moment and always try to give out best.

"The players took the decision to play the game against Cardiff as a group.

"We will be alright."

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Focus has now sensitively moved to Leicester's game against Cardiff on Saturday and Puel has confirmed all 27 of his fit players are available to play.

He said: "We have 27 players ready and in condition, and fit to play this game

"Daniel Amartey has had surgery and it was a success but he will not be available for four months.

"Daniel sacrificed himself for the team which was fantastic but we lost him as a team and of course it is another grief after what has happened.

"The other players are ok. Matty James made the warm-up and that was good feeling.2

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"I was in the stadium with my family and friends and all my staff and someone gave me the news," said Puel, on hearing a helicopter had crashed outside the ground.

"And of course we were devastated we cannot understand what has happened because it is not possible to learn this news. "

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Puel then touches on what the Srivaddhanaprabha family means to Leicester City:

"Of course it’s the hardest moment in my career of course - but my feeling is close to all people to the club the players, the staff, I'm devastated like other people but I have a responsibility to help people move together to look forward and to try to bring my support.

"There's a lot of emotion but we have to move on, all the squad the have been strong with strength in their soul like Top (Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabh) and like his mother."

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"I think step by step we have to build and to move on step by step - we have to give our best to continue his work and his dream, we can fight together and to honour him."

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Puel talks fondly of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and the person he was:

"I think it was his spirit and his kindness in situations, he was close to people but he wanted he please all the time he was genuine.

"Personally, for example he invited me often for to the races - I met Prince Williams and Prince Harry it was fantastic, he shared all the things with his staff, his players."

"I took his boat for three days with my family because he wanted all the time to please the people around him."

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"It was fantastic and I'm not surprised because he was a nice man with his warmth, his kindness, his ambition he gave us us motivation, " said Puel of the sea of tributes left outside the King Power Stadium.

"Vichai changed his life a lot of and he invested in the city, the club and he was close to people also all the time - I think we can see all this because of all the flowers it is like a family."

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Claude Puel spoke with Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha before Leicester's game with West Ham and described him as 'happy".

"I didn't see Kun Vichai after the game, I saw him before the game.

"He enjoyed it, he was happy and with a smile and we distressed a lot in my office and it was a pleasure and of course I cannot imagine this thing after."

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Foxes goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was one of the first players on the scene after the helicopter crashed.

He led the tributes to Vichai with a lengthy open letter.

Puel said: "Yes I don't want to give out the details of course just for Kasper (Schmeichel), he lives this situation and he saw a lot of things. Kasper, like the other players, they all have a lot of history with the chairman and they are all devastated."

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Puel discussed whether he or the players will be attending their owner's funeral, which starts on Saturday and could last for up to a week.

"I want to give players the opportunity to go if they want to but I don't know about the logistics. "But the players want to go and support Vichai's family, his wife and Top."

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Leicester players and staff have been offered grief counselling and the club

"A lot of people have been available to help players and staff and I think the reaction to face this event is different and we have to understand that people can have a different reaction but we put in place all the help necessary for all the people."

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Here is Puel's heartfelt statement:

"This has been without doubt one of the hardest weeks in the history of this football club, the tragic loss of five lives has left us numb and in shock and our thoughts are with Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's family and with the all of the families who have lost a loved one.

"Vichai made Leicester City a family and made a dream.

"He invested in the club, the city and the people.

"He truly was loved by everyone inside and outside the club. Personally it was a privilege to work for him. It was a privilege for the faith he showed in me and the flowers and shirts show how many lives he touched.

"He leaves a legacy and his vision for the club we take forward.

"I have never been prouder to be a manager of this club.

"In such difficult circumstances - from staff, players and fans, they have shown what a special club this is.

"Football has not been on our minds this last week but this weekend and all matches after we will play to honour a man who did so much for our club."

Claude Puel has opened up his first news conference following the death of Leicester City's owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others, with an emotional statement.

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