Leicester City have been relegated to League One, less than a decade after winning the Premier League.
They become just the fifth team in the Premier League era to suffer consecutive relegations from the top flight to the third tier.
Despite being seven points behind 21st-placed Blackburn with two games remaining, there was still a theoretical chance of survival through an EFL reprieve.
Leicester’s 1–0 defeat at Portsmouth — their 18th loss of the Championship season — left them needing to win all remaining matches and rely on other results. However, their hopes ended after a 2–2 home draw against Hull City.
That result confirmed Leicester, who sit 23rd with 42 points from 44 games, cannot catch Blackburn.
The final whistle triggered anger from fans inside the stadium, directed at both players and the club’s hierarchy.
Remarkably, even without their six-point deduction for breaching financial rules, Leicester would still be in the relegation zone.
There remains a slim possibility of a reprieve. West Brom were charged earlier in April with an alleged breach of Profit and Sustainability Rules and could face a points deduction. However, their breach is believed to be less severe than Leicester’s, making a significant deduction unlikely.
West Brom’s win over Watford leaves them ten points clear of Leicester with two games left, effectively ending any realistic hope.
In the match against Hull, goalkeeper Asmir Begovic’s poor pass led to Liam Millar opening the scoring in the 18th minute. Leicester responded after halftime, with Jordan James equalising from the penalty spot and Luke Thomas putting them ahead shortly after.
However, tensions rose when Harry Winks was substituted on, receiving boos from fans following a recent altercation with a supporter. Soon after, Oli McBurnie equalised for Hull, sealing Leicester’s fate. Late chances went begging as the match ended level.
Leicester’s relegation marks a dramatic fall from grace. In May 2016, they completed a 5,000-to-1 title-winning season. They reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2017, won the FA Cup in 2021, and made the Europa Conference League semi-finals in 2022.
Now, after three relegations in four seasons, they drop into the third tier. They join a small group of clubs to fall from the Premier League to League One in successive seasons.
The 2026–27 season will be only Leicester’s second ever campaign in the third tier, their previous one coming in 2008–09, when they won promotion with a record points tally.
The club now faces significant challenges, including underperforming players, financial issues, and growing dissatisfaction among supporters.
