Leicester City relegated to third division 10 years after shock Premier League title

Yahoo Sports2h ago24 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Leicester City has been relegated to League One, the third tier of English soccer, following a 2-2 draw with Hull City. This marks their second consecutive relegation after finishing 18th in the Premier League last season.

Key points

Leicester City relegated to League One after 2-2 draw with Hull City
This is their second consecutive relegation from the Premier League
Leicester won the Premier League in 2015 with 5,000-to-1 odds
The club's descent is the fastest in Premier League history
Parachute payments are intended to ease financial impacts of relegation

Leicester CityPremier LeagueLeague One

It was one of the best sports stories of all time. Leicester City, 5,000-to-1 to win the English Premier League, became champion a decade ago.

Fans in the East Midlands will always have the 2015-16 championship season, but it feels like ancient history now. The Foxes will play in League One next season, the third tier of English soccer, with a 2-2 draw with Hull City on Tuesday confirming their relegation.

It is the second relegation in a row after Leicester was sent down from the Premier League in 2024-25 with an 18th-place finish. Leicester also tumbled from the Premier League in 2022-23 before quickly returning.

Why did Leicester City get relegated to League One?

While past teams like Leeds and Derby County also have gone from the top division to the third, Leicester's descent is by far the fastest in the Premier League era. The league has parachute payments meant to lessen the financial blow of falling a division, meaning smaller revenues from broadcasting rights, sponsorship and, typically, ticket sales.

And hopes were high for Leicester going into the year. The Foxes poached Spanish manager Marti Cifuentes from Queens Park Rangers in the same division and have one of the league's highest payrolls.

Many players, like forward Patson Daka and attacking midfielder Bobby Reid, are veterans of the Premier League. Defender Luke Thomas and midfielder Hamza Choudhury are among players who helped Leicester win the FA Cup in 2021 and remain on the roster.

By the time the team bid farewell to Cifuentes in January, it may have been too late to reverse the skid. New manager Gary Rowett has posted a 1W-7D-3L record in his 11 games at the helm.

Leicester also wasn't helped by a six-point penalty levied this year for breaching the English Football League's regulations for profit and sustainability in a period that ended in 2024.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Leeds United misses a headed chance while under pressure from Leny Yoro of Manchester United at Old Trafford on April 13, 2026 in Manchester, England. Leeds United won the match, 2-1.