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As the send-up approached by a gray autumn afternoon, a banner was passed between Cardiff City fans and that of Leicester City – two tribes putting aside their rivalries, but they did not believe it was a good thing. uniting to be respectful.
The flag wore the emblems of the clubs and the Thai national flag in tribute to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, owner of Leicester, one of five people killed in a helicopter crash near the club's King Power Stadium on weekends latest.
It was Leicester's first match since the tragedy and the game itself was incidental.
After a wreath was laid on the ground, the two parties gathered around the central circle for a minute of silence and the usually hectic stage of Cardiff City fell into a deep silence. The crowd was consumed by the calm.
And then came the sound.
Once the match started, Leicester supporters sang in memory of their owner and shouted encouragement to their players. Cardiff fans participated. The atmosphere was harmonious and rare.
On the field, it looked like any other game. In the stands, it was a step like the others.
And after a week of tributes, Leicester offered another courageous victory, won by Demarai Gray's goal, which sparked emotional celebrations that will be inscribed in the club's history.
Below, fans, players and managers tell the emotions of a day that few Cardiff City Stadium players will ever forget.
"The day has been tough but next week will be even harder"
Di Statham, from the Foxes Trust fan group, is a hardcore fan of Leicester and was out at Cardiff City Stadium.
It was a very emotional day. We did not know what to expect. Cardiff fans were great. In the minute of silence, you could have heard a pin fall. We really enjoyed that.
Not only the team but the entire Leicester team came for the minute of silence and after the match to cheer the fans. We won for Vichai and it was nice to see that some of the Cardiff fans had stayed after the game. Thank you so, Cardiff fans.
Today was difficult but next week [the first home game since the crash] will be even more difficult. It is also the weekend of remembrance. We always do a great thing about it. Next week will be even more difficult if we remember the dead. Returning to the scene of the accident will be difficult.
"It was very strange to try to arouse some enthusiasm"
Cliff Ginetta is the president of the Leicester City Fan Club and was also one of more than 3,000 Fox fans who traveled to Wales.
The week was very sad and filled with emotions and everyone felt it in Leicester. The family atmosphere we created was deeply upset. The week was difficult to cross.
Any credit to guys to play. It was very strange for the fans to arrive at the stadium and elicit some enthusiasm, but we had to do it for Vichai and what he did for Leicester City. They called him the boss but he was the best boss. He was such a kind guy and he did everything for the club and the fans.
I have to congratulate Cardiff and his fans for the way they treated us before the game, by distributing free food in the lobby and things like that. These things put everything in perspective.
"I'll never forget Cardiff's gestures"
Ian Stringer has been covering the city of Leicester for more than ten years, including winning their outstanding Premier League title in 2016.
I will keep some unforgettable memories, and it was moving. In my life, I've never had to comment on a game like this, and about 600 games.
Which even earned me the flag of the city of Cardiff, which moved to the end of the city of Leicester, and then the Cardiff fans took the flag of Leicester to the airport. at the end. I know that Cardiff has lost and that the tactics, etc., have come from it, but the gesture of Cardiff supporters to change the flag, a flag with the badge of Leicester City, will not let it pass.
I will never forget, ever, the actions of the Cardiff City Football Club, which has been classy, dignified and beautiful.
"This caused a lot of emotions"
Osian Roberts has been on the coaching staff of Wales since the beginning of his tenure at the helm of Gary Speed. After Speed's death in November 2011, Roberts led the team for the tribute match against Costa Rica at Cardiff City Stadium three months later. Roberts was back on the ground for Leicester's victory over Cardiff.
It was incredibly difficult and such days put forth these emotions, especially in this stage.
The players will have had a huge shock last weekend with this tragedy. And throughout the week, they will have paid tribute and tried to manage these emotions as individuals and as a group of players.
I spoke to Leicester midfielder, Andy King, and he said, as we had already told other players this week, that they wanted to perform a performance of which Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha would have been proud.
In our game here, at the Gary Speed memorial match, I remember players like Ashley Williams, the captain, coming in at half-time and saying, "I can not move, I can not move my legs, they are like a lead. The emotional situation physically affected the players. They could not even run around the field, let alone play.
"It was difficult to prepare this game"
Claude Puel has been appointed manager of Leicester by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
It was a tough match, they did their best. We deserved to win and it's fantastic and it's for the president.
It was difficult to prepare this game, it was important to find the right balance between emotion and concentration. I want to congratulate the players. Today is the first step, now we can continue.
We will have a difficult week or so. We are going to Bangkok for the funeral, we come back in the middle of the week and we have a workout to prepare ourselves against Burnley. This will be our first home game with the fans.
"I have never seen anything like it"
Cardiff City Manager Neil Warnock lost his team, which meant she was in the relegation zone.
It was a weird, surreal week, really, I'm glad it's out of place if I'm honest.
I was quite satisfied with the players – and the fans – under the circumstances, with the respect that they showed.
I can understand the Leicester players, the closeness that they had [to Vichai]. But it was also difficult for our guys, I did not see anything like it.
We had to have a word with them before the match to remind them that they had to play. No one could really blame this effort – another day we might have had something.
"I could not stabilize myself, I was shaking"
Leicester goalkeeper, Kasper Schmeichel, has been at the club since 2011. He was one of the first people on the scene of the helicopter crash and was in tears during the minute of silence that preceded the blow d & # 39; shipment. With the rest of the team, he went immediately to Thailand for the funeral just after the match.
Today was difficult. Going out for warm-up was difficult. The first 10 minutes, I could not calm down, I was shaking a little. But it was good to have a win in Thailand and we hope his family will be proud.
It was difficult, we try, a few hours a day, to be professionals and to train, but everyone wanted to play and win for his family. Her family was strong, the courage she had. I feel tremendous pride in being part of the family built by Vichai and the extended family of Leicester City.
Everyone is crying in different ways and the occasion has come forward and we wanted to go to the funeral. We are a family and wanted to pay our last respects together.
"The accumulation was not easy to manage"
Central back Cardiff, Sol Bamba, played Saturday's game. He spent the 2011-12 season with Leicester in the championship.
Vichai was a good man. I had the chance to meet him and it's a big loss.
It was difficult for us, the whole construction was not easy to manage. But this is not an excuse, the gaffer warned us about it. Obviously, we pay tribute before and after, but during the match, we are professionals.
The supporters have been gorgeous all season and especially today, showing the whole football family together.
"We had to try to hold back our emotions"
Wes Morgan took Leicester to the Premier League title in 2015-16 and led the team at the Cardiff City Stadium.
You can see by our reaction at the end of the game how much we wanted to win and do it for the president.
We were very close to him. We know what his wishes were. He used to come home, joke and laugh, always saying, "I want to win and three points" and that's what we did today. The week was not easy, we had to hold back our emotions and do our best.
We have a very emotional connection with the fans, so we stayed until the end and celebrated the victory with them.
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