Story highlights EPL champion protests striker's ban

Prints 30,000 Jamie Vardy masks

Leicester loses 2-0 at home to Everton

(CNN) 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.

Jamie Vardy wearing a Jamie Vardy mask.



My hero. pic.twitter.com/NuDsk9y2qA — TheSPORTbible (@TSBible) December 26, 2016

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.