Leicester win FA Cup after late VAR drama - player, manager & pundit reaction

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: “It is such an amazing feeling, in particular as a British coach. I have grown up watching this all my life and to be eventually be here and be a winner in the FA Cup is special.

On it being a dream come true: “Not necessarily no. You are paid to develop players and win. The success for a club like Leicester is to be fighting and be up there and competitive. If we can win trophies it is a big bonus.

“The reality is there are other teams that can provide budgets way beyond us at Leicester City. We have shown we can compete and fight against it.

“I knew we had prepared very well. The players have shown through the season they can fight, have quality and have a desire to win. We were playing against the Champions League finals, with quality and the level they have been at. But I thought tactically we were brilliant.

“We have seen that through his career. He has got that ability to step forward and shoot. It was what you would call a classic FA Cup final-winning goal.

“As was Kasper Schmeichel’s save. That was incredible. I am so lucky to have him. I was so pleased when I came into the club that he was here. His ambition, determination, every single day, he is relentless and has got his rewards.”

Chelsea have a big couple of weeks coming up with another game against Leicester on Tuesday and then a trip to Aston Villa on 23 May as they look to cement a top-four place before playing Manchester City in the Champions League final on 29 May.

A disappointing day today, no doubt, but plenty of time for them to ensure this season ends in celebration.

Tuchel was critical of "decisive" VAR calls in the game.

The ball had appeared to deflect off Ayoze Perez's leg and onto his arm in the build up to the winning goal, while Ben Chilwell was denied a late equaliser after a VAR review.

"The players said straight away it was a handball," said Tuchel.

"So now for the second game in a row there was a handball against us, and VAR is not interfering. Against Arsenal there was one on the line, and again today, and they are very decisive.

"I'm not an expert in handball any more, I don't know when it's handball or not.

"I don't know any more when they need to punish it or it's OK to play with the hand.

"We were unlucky today. But there's never any guarantee you'll end up with a trophy."

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Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has just been speaking in his post-match press conference.

It's never easy to reflect on a loss in a cup final, but he was not unhappy with his side's performance.

"We are disappointed and not angry with our performance from the boys," he said.

"I think the performance is enough to win it. I think today we were unlucky and we've never hidden that we need to have that to win at this level.

"You need momentum, decision making, little details, the referee."

Minutes before the final whistle there was late drama as Chelsea had a last-gasp goal chalked off by VAR.

Kasper Schmeichel's magnificent diving save kept Leicester in the lead in the closing stages.

We're starting to wind things down a bit here, so as we do here's the key moments from the game.

First, THAT goal.

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Kasper Schmeichel speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "It means everything. To think of the people who have lifted this trophy and be able to do it today is beyond my wildest dreams. What a beautiful trophy it is.

"What a goal it is. To be fair I don't know why I am surprised, that's Youri [Tielemans], that's the quality he possesses."

On crucial saves: "That's what I am there for. But all credit to the boys, that was tough. they battled so well and kept them from more chances.

"It was horrible [the last few minutes] I was begging for the final whistle. But now it is all worth it."

Leicester City match-winner Youri Tielemans to BBC One on Foxes owner Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanaprabha:

"It’s emotional for him and his family because they have built this club towards glory after winning the Premier League and now to win the FA Cup is amazing.

"We will give everything for this club and for those men that built this club and built this history and legacy.

"I think the start was when they won the league, that was when something special started and we are just building that up and hopefully we can continue.

"We have a very important game on Tuesday and if we win, we are hopefully in the Champions League. We just have to go again but now we will enjoy and celebrate – we will think about Tuesday later on."

What two saves [by Kasper Schmeichel]. The first one from Ben Chilwell, he gets down to his right quickly. He just managed to claw it out.

[The second was] the best one, absolutely incredible. You can see the disappointment on Mason Mount's face. He doesn't see it until late.

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Brendan Rodgers is the first Irish manager to lift the FA Cup since Terry Neill guided Arsenal to the trophy in 1979 vs Manchester United.

The former Celtic boss is also the first manager to win both the English and Scottish FA Cup since Sir Alex Ferguson.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers speaking to BBC Sport: "It's an amazing feeling, I wasn't aware before I came to Leicester that they'd never won the FA cup, they'd lost in four finals previous so to be able to give that to the owners and the fans, so special.

"So proud, the board players staff, supporters, an amazing day for the city, so proud for everyone."

On the goal: "Youri Tieleman's goal was like an old school FA cup winning goal but also Kasper Schmeichel's save, those are the special moments you need in games. Overall we were the better team, super aggressive, pressed well, we were always a threat with the ball. Chelsea are an amazing team, that's why they're in a Champions League final but I thought we deserved it."

On what it means to him: "Very special, been in six finals before and won them, today is the seventh and it's the FA Cup so it's truly special. It means so much to us, so proud, but happier for everyone else.

"The success of this team and club is getting to positions like this and competing, the so-called bigger clubs are expected to win but our success is competing and if we can perform like today we can go and win, what a day for everyone involved with Leicester."

On Gary Lineker's celebrations: "I hope Gary enjoys it, I know his story from when he was a boy, I hope he will be crying tears of happiness on the way home."