April 20, 2025
Leicester City’s nightmare season officially ended on Sunday with relegation to the Championship, following a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at King Power Stadium.
The 2015-16 Premier League champions drop out of the top flight for the second time in three years. Their return to the Premier League lasted just one season, as early struggles, poor home form, and managerial instability proved too much to overcome.
Leicester failed to win any of their opening six matches and parted ways with manager Steve Cooper after just 15 games. Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy took over in an attempt to salvage the season but was unable to stop the slide. Under his leadership, the Foxes made small improvements but could not escape the bottom three.
A damaging statistic summed up their struggles: Leicester became the first club across England’s top four divisions to lose nine consecutive home games without scoring a goal.
Speaking after the match, Van Nistelrooy made clear that he hopes to stay and help rebuild the club in the Championship.
“We have to use this time to get better,” he said. “I’m waiting on clarity from the club about how they want to continue. The sooner, the better.”
The club now faces crucial decisions regarding management, player retention, and recruitment. With the Championship season approaching quickly, Leicester must move fast to plan for life outside the Premier League.
While the drop had seemed inevitable for several months, Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool mathematically confirmed it. The focus now shifts to how Leicester can recover from another major setback and plot a return to the top flight.
