Leicester City started the 2016/17 season as Premier League champions. Ten years later, there is a distinct possibility that they will be starting the 2026/27 campaign in League One.
Following relegation from the Premier League last season, Marti Cifuentes was appointed as manager at the King Power Stadium. The Spaniard had performed well with Queens Park Rangers over the previous two seasons, so a move to Leicester seemed like a step in the right direction.
That’s how it looked anyway. Cifuentes was sacked in late January leaving the Foxes 14th in the table.
Since then, things have only gotten worse. Less than two weeks later Leicester were deducted six points for breaching profit and sustainability rules.
This dropped them down to 20th place. If only that was a far as they would fall.
Now only Sheffield Wednesday sit below them in the standings, with 21st place West Bromwich Albion now five points away.
A few weeks before he was sacked, Cifuentes stated that “some players wanted to leave in the summer” and certain players felt that “their time at the club was over.” He stopped short of naming any names, but it wasn’t a good look for his players.
Players wanting to leave a club after a relegation is nothing new, but this season very few Leicester players have done anything to suggest that they are worthy of a move to a level higher than the Championship. There has also been an awful lot of criticism towards the higher ups at the club.
From poor signings to seemingly ridiculous wages, it’s criticism that is hard to ignore.
Leicester had a great chance to earn crucial points on Easter Monday, but could only manage a draw against already relegated Sheffield Wednesday. They then lost at home to a Swansea City side with nothing left to play for.
Their remaining fixtures are Portsmouth away who are coming off the back of fantastic wins against Middlesborough and Ipswich Town. After that they play Hull City, Millwall and Blackburn Rovers to close out the season.
The Foxes recently appealed against their points deduction from earlier in the season but were denied.
