The tragedy of Leicester City

Ten years ago, Leicester City wrote the greatest fairy tale in English football history. From a team predicted to be relegated with odds of 5000/1, Claudio Ranieri's team caused a sensation by winning the Premier League title in the 2015/16 season.

But 10 years later, that glory is being overshadowed by harsh reality. Leicester are paying a heavy price and face the risk of relegation.

An unbelievable miracle

Under the guidance of manager Claudio Ranieri 10 years ago, Leicester City produced a nearly perfect season in terms of efficiency. They didn't possess superior ball control or an expensive squad, but they had organization, discipline, and a coldly sharp counter-attacking ability.

Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, and N'Golo Kante became symbols of the "impossible dream" back then. It was a dream where a mid-table club could beat all the big clubs to win the toughest league on the planet.

Leicester are in danger of being relegated to the third tier of English football.

However, exactly a decade later, the opposite scenario emerged. Leicester faced the risk of relegation to League One, the third tier of English football. From the bright lights of King Power, they struggled in 23rd place in the 2025/26 Championship, five points behind safety after being further penalized six points for financial violations.

The question is, what caused a Premier League champion to plummet so quickly?

Following their historic championship win, the decision to sack Ranieri just nine months after the title was seen as the first turning point. Although the team was showing signs of decline and battling relegation, parting ways with the club's greatest hero and appointing his assistant, Craig Shakespeare, triggered a prolonged period of instability.

A prolonged period of instability

In the following years, Leicester changed managers repeatedly, from Claude Puel to Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers, in particular, brought about the brightest period after Ranieri, with two consecutive seasons finishing 5th in the Premier League and winning the FA Cup in 2021. However, his dismissal when the team was in crisis plunged Leicester into a spiral of risk. Subsequent choices such as Dean Smith or Enzo Maresca failed to provide long-term stability.

Not only were there mistakes on the coaching bench, but the transfer policy also gradually became a weakness. Once highly anticipated signings like Patson Daka or Oliver Skipp failed to deliver results commensurate with their fees.

Meanwhile, successful signings were not retained at the right time, such as Youri Tielemans leaving the club on a free transfer, or Wesley Fofana being sold to balance the finances.

Leicester is a tragedy for English football.

A common thread in the post-glory era is a general lack of stability. Leicester City constantly changes its coaching staff, its transfer strategy is inconsistent, and decisions are reactive rather than long-term-oriented.

Leicester was once proof that a small team could reach the top if they operated correctly. But 10 years later, they have become the opposite. Just one mistake after another, and even a champion can slide downhill uncontrollably.

Looking back on this journey, Leicester reflects a harsh reality of modern football: victory isn't sustained by memories. It only exists when the underlying structure is strong, stable, and steadfast in its long-term direction.

Ten years ago, Leicester was a fairy tale. Ten years later, they have become a costly lesson.