LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 23: Leicester City Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha hands out gifts to fans after the Premier League match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at The King Power Stadium on May 23, 2021 in Leicester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Leicester City owner confirmed he sacked manager to ‘protect our Premier League status’ – it was a huge mistake
Leicester City are now in danger of suffering relegation to the Championship in the 2024/25 season.
Given they only won promotion in 2023/24, few likely expected the Foxes to have a dazzling campaign.
However, it’s fair to say that Leicester City are in the midst of one of the worst spells in the club’s recent history.
They have the weekend off now thanks to the FA Cup but when Premier League football returns, the Midlands outfit face an uphill battle to stave off the threat of relegation.
The man who has been tasked with keeping the club afloat since late November is Ruud van Nistelrooy.
However, after a run of 11 defeats from 12 matches in the top flight, Leicester fans want Van Nistelrooy sacked.
It’s a harrowing situation to be in and may well have been avoided had Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha not made a big mistake previously.
Ruud van Nistelrooy owner sacked manager to keep club in the Premier League
Even though it’s still mathematically possible for Leicester to stay up, their current form and upcoming fixtures make it an almost impossible task.
In turn, it’s likely they are going to face a second relegation in the space of just three seasons.
Their previous demotion to the Championship came in the 2022/23 campaign, with Brendan Rodgers manager for most of it.
However, after losing five in six Premier League matches, Leicester sacked Rodgers in April 2023 following their fall into the relegation zone.
At the time, the club’s owner released a statement explaining the decision, as per BBC Sport.
He said: “It had been our belief that continuity and stability would be key to correcting our course, particularly given our previous achievements under Brendan’s management.
“Regrettably, the desired improvement has not been forthcoming and, with 10 games of the season remaining, the board is compelled to take alternative action to protect our Premier League status.
“The task ahead of us in our final 10 games is clear. We now need to come together – fans, players and staff – and show the poise, quality and fight to secure our position as a Premier League club.”
Leicester City sacking Brendan Rodgers was a mistake
During his time at the King Power, Rodgers helped Leicester win the FA Cup and Community Shield.
Granted, his performance in 2022/23 was poor but sacking the Northern Irishman was a huge mistake.
The Foxes opted to appoint Dean Smith for the remainder of that campaign who, with all the respect in the world, is not as good a manager as the man he replaced.
Smith couldn’t save Leicester and the club have been paying the price for sacking Rodgers since.
Meanwhile, the 52-year-old has returned to Celtic and is once again enjoying success, while the Midlands outfit head toward another relegation.
Leicester City fell to yet another defeat on Thursday evening against West Ham United.
Ruud van Nistelrooy began his reign as Leicester City manager by beating the Hammers 3-1 on December 3rd.
