Leicester City is on its way to the third tier. The fall of the sensation champion from 2016 could provide a lot of material for a film adaptation.
“In almost 16 years, we have won five trophies, been relegated twice, and played in Europe three times. It’s like a film or a series,” Leicester club boss Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha described the past years of his Foxes at the end of January.
The film “Leicester City” began with the ultimate triumph and some central protagonists. Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, and N’Golo Kanté, alongside coach Claudio Ranieri, were the faces of arguably the greatest sensation in English football. In 2016, the quartet won the Premier League with Leicester City as 5000:1 outsiders.
Jamie Vardy will leave Leicester City in 2025 after 13 years at the club
Sensational Champions Leicester City Experience Brutal Decline
Almost ten years later, not much remains of this triumph. Following breaches of financial regulations, the Foxes are only in 20th place in the Championship (2nd English league) table with a six-point deduction – only a better goal difference separates the traditional club from a relegation spot.
The situation of the club from the East Midlands in the league is more than threatening: parts of the fans are boycotting games and openly speaking out against the club management. In addition, the club is currently without a head coach after the recent separation from Marti Cifuentes.
Chronology of the Downfall
But how did it ever come to this?
That the sensational championship triumph would probably not be repeatable was probably clear to everyone in and around Leicester. After seasons finishing 12th and twice 9th, the club seemed to establish itself in the mid-table.
This was followed by the successful tenure of coach Brendan Rodgers, who not only led the Foxes to 5th place twice and thus into international competition, but also coached them to win the FA Cup in 2021.
In a detailed interview with the Guardian , club owner Srivaddhanaprabha, nicknamed “Top,” recognized the first beginnings of the decline: “We grew bigger and bigger and forgot what we were before. We thought we were up here, and that’s the most dangerous position you can be in.”
Tragic Fate: Club Boss Dies in Heli Crash
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s son took over as club owner after his father died in a tragic accident in October 2018: The club boss died in a helicopter crash following a Premier League match.
A sobering 2022/23 season followed, during which head coach Rodgers also left, among others. Despite nine consecutive seasons in the top flight and notable players like Jamie Vardy, Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, and Harvey Barnes in the squad, the Foxes were relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.
Villain Chelsea
However, “film hero” Leicester City fought back against the setback and, with coach Enzo Maresca, returned to the Premier League – as second-tier champions, with 97 points and after only one year in the second division.
There, FC Chelsea then presented itself as the cinematic villain and promptly snatched away the promotion coach from the Foxes. The Blues prized the Italian away from Leicester for a sum of 11.75 million euros.
The next decline was pre-programmed. The result was numerous unsuccessful coaching changes and finally, another relegation.
Protests Against Club Leadership
Owner “Top” is at the center of criticism from LCFC supporters. Due to the threatening situation and the unrest surrounding the club and owner, several fan groups issued a statement: “More and more fans believe that the club is poorly managed, that fans’ concerns are regularly ignored, and that significant changes only occur when the pressure becomes impossible to ignore.”
The result was a protest action carried out by the supporters during the league match against local rivals West Bromwich Albion, where many seats in the King Power Stadium remained empty.
The fans protest against the club leadership
Subsequently, the owner also spoke for the first time about the strong criticism of his person. Despite the many critical voices and protest actions, the 40-year-old is not thinking of selling the club: “Selling the club is not the right way to exit. I have to make sure that I finish everything I started here before I want to leave. Now I have to make sure that the club is in a good position.”
Leicester City: Will the Film Still Get a Happy Ending?
And he still trusts himself to do so, as he emphasizes: “I still love it here and want to make sure that the club becomes successful again. The responsibility lies with me, and the most important thing is to identify and fix the problem.”
However, he still needs the support of his own supporters, to whom he appeals: “With this squad, we should not be relegated again. The players massively need the support of the fans. Because no one wants to see us play in League One.”
Now it is up to him and the other responsible parties to ensure that the film “Leicester City” does not ultimately become a horror movie.