Ten years after a legendary, against-the-odds Premier League triumph, five years since winning the FA Cup, and a single season after dropping out of the top flight, Leicester City have been relegated to the third tier of English football.
For a club that experienced real tragedy not long ago it would be misguided to indulge in hyperbole, but a second straight relegation is a sporting disaster, certainly one of the most spectacular falls in the recent history of the domestic game.
The reasons for Leicester’s demise are numerous but on a highly-charged night it was a howler by Leicester’s goalkeeper Asmir Begovic that handed promotion-chasing Hull City the advantage. A Jordan James penalty sparked a second-half comeback, only for Ollie McBurnie’s clinical finish to ultimately seal the Foxes’ fate.
The King Power Stadium was bathed in golden spring sunshine before kick-off, which jarred with the severity of Leicester’s plight. In his programme notes the Leicester manager, Gary Rowett, described his side as being in a “very difficult situation” – he also deemed it necessary to assure supporters the “players are still working, still preparing, and they care about what’s happening”.
Harry Winks, who was involved in an altercation with fans after the 1-0 defeat against Portsmouth on Saturday, dropped to the bench along with Hamza Choudhury. Oliver Skipp and the 21-year-old James – who won the Championship young player of the season award this week – were alongside each other in defensive midfield.
