Relegation confirmed mathematically 
The scoreboard at the King Power Stadium has delivered the verdict. Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Hull City has sealed it in black and white. Leicester City will be playing in League One next season. It is another drop after last term’s failure. The schedule now includes trips to Bromley, Peterborough, Doncaster Rovers, Wycombe Wanderers and Mansfield Town.
This relegation also comes 10 years on from their Premier League title win in 2016. The club has even budgeted a charity match to mark the anniversary. Claudio Ranieri, Jamie Vardy, Kasper Schmeichel, N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez are all expected to be involved under the banner “5000/1”, a nod to the odds they were handed before that impossible run to the crown.
A financial slide that has been there for all to see
The bigger picture points to a club that has been badly run. Owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s fatal helicopter crash in October 2018 passed control to his son Aiyawatt. The business side tied to the club, the King Power duty-free retail chain, saw revenue fall during the pandemic. That hit the sporting arm hard, especially cash flow.
The post-2021 picture, after the FA Cup win, has been a mess. Letting high-value assets leave for nothing, such as Youri Tielemans and Caglar Soyuncu, only widened the hole. Keeping wages at Premier League levels created a mismatch the club could not hide. The English Football League moved against that slide in May last year. Then came the six-point deduction in February, a punishment that effectively pushed the club below the survival line.
Questions over the coaching setup and what comes next
The decision-makers are now under real scrutiny. Fans inside the ground on Tuesday made their feelings clear with loud boos aimed at the team. The winter appointment of Gary Rowett, who replaced Mati Cifuentes, has not worked. Rowett had already been sacked by Oxford in December, which perhaps told you enough.
Broadcasters and pundits across the British game, including TNT Sports, are pointing to a stunning lack of planning. The next summer will need a major overhaul. Up to 90% of the squad is expected to change. A quick return to the top flight looks highly unlikely. And with the current stadium capped at 30,000 seats, there is only so much room for the club to grow.
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