Time flies. And, if not, tell them Leicester City. A decade ago, they touched the sky, consummating the greatest miracle ever seen in the history of English football by becoming champions of the Premier 15-16. Tonight, the agony has ended… confirming his descent into the hell of League One (Third).
“I told the players that we have to start hoping for a little fortune from somewhere. But I don’t like to use those terms as a coach,” he acknowledged. Gary Rowett in the run-up to the match against Hull City. They only had to win to stay alive… and the outcome could not have been more dramatic. And, after having managed to come back, the goal of McBurnie midway through the second he ended up certifying his descent to Third before the gaze of a King Power Stadium between tears Category that they had only previously entered in 08-09.
This season should have ended in a party, culminating in their return to the highest category of football to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the conquest of the premier. But, despite having one of the highest budgets in the championshipeverything ended in a tragedy that, like what happened with the 2016 title, no one was able to foresee.
Since the beginning of the season, however, it began to become clear that this Leicester I was not in a position to return to the premier…to the point that Marti Cifuentes He was fired at the end of January with a poor record of 10 victories in the first 29 days. “It wasn’t the way we wanted our time here to end. We gave it our all,” lamented the coach. Sant Cugat del Vallès.
At that time, the ‘foxes’ occupied 15th place in this edition of the championship…with six points above relegation. The same ones that, a few weeks later, were deducted for violating the rules of the Financial Fair Play between exercises 21-22 and 23-24. The club, obviously, presented allegations for it to be revoked… but they did not come to fruition.
Since then, the Leicester has barely added one victory in 12 games and nine points out of a possible 33… only made worse by a Sheffield Wednesday (4) that, burdened by another penalty of up to 18 points for declaring bankruptcy, which made them the most premature team ever seen in the Football League.
A debacle that was not seen coming
It seems impossible to explain such a fall by a Leicester that, after raising the premier from 5,000 to one in betting, won an FA Cup (2021), another Community Shield (2021) and achieved three qualifications for European competitions… highlighting the semifinals of the Conference League achieved in 2022.
During this time, they also had to deal with the death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabhaowner of the club since 2010, died in a helicopter accident in 2018, the crisis derived from COVID-19 that severely hit King Powera duty-free retail company based in bangkok which was also under the ownership of the family Srivaddhanaprabha.
There began the ‘free fall’ of a Leicester that ended a stay of 10 consecutive seasons in Premier confirming his return to championship in the 23-24 season. A fall that, like the current one League Oneit was unpredictable. Above all, I take into account that they had the 11th highest valued squad in the category (490 million)… with players on the payroll like Wesley Fofana, Castagne, Ndidi, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall, Maddison, Ayoze or the ‘myth’ Vardy.
His return to premier in 23-24, hand in hand with Enzo Marescait was just a mirage and, going up to 11 days without winning, they quickly set out on their way back to championship. The goal, as it could not be otherwise, was to return to the top elite… and the season ended in a debacle that will be difficult to forget.
Be that as it may, no one can take away the privilege of being one of the five teams capable of winning the premier throughout the 21st century. It is still paradoxical, of course, that his biggest contender that season was the Tottenham. And, while the ‘foxes’ have already set out on the road to League One…the ‘spurs’ are going headlong championship. Seeing is believing.
