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Eight years after their 5000-1 Premier League triumph, the Foxes need a miracle to avoid League One relegation
Leicester City stand eight points from safety with nine to play for, needing to win all three remaining matches while hoping results elsewhere save them from an unthinkable drop to League One. The club that shocked world football with their Premier League title in 2016 could confirm their second successive relegation as early as Tuesday night.
The confrontation between Harry Winks and supporters after Saturday's defeat at Portsmouth crystallised the toxic atmosphere surrounding a squad earning Championship-topping wages while delivering League One-standard performances.
Leicester's decline reads like a cautionary tale written in reverse. The 5000-1 outsiders who conquered English football in 2016 have won just 17 of their last 81 matches across two catastrophic seasons.
The timeline of their collapse defies belief. Just five years separate their 2019 FA Cup triumph from potential third-tier football. A decade after escaping League One in 2014, they face returning with one of the division's most expensive wage bills.
A six-point deduction for historical spending breaches has accelerated their demise, though Leicester would occupy the relegation zone even without the punishment. The sanction transformed a desperate situation into an almost impossible one.
Their record under current management makes grim reading:
Leicester's path to safety requires perfection and fortune in equal measure. They must beat Hull City on Tuesday, Millwall on Friday, and win their final fixture while watching rivals stumble.
Even victory against Hull won't guarantee survival. Wins for West Brom and Blackburn in midweek, plus a Charlton draw, would confirm Leicester's fate regardless. The permutations offer false hope to a fanbase that has already accepted the inevitable.
The confrontation between England international Winks and supporters outside Fratton Park exposed wounds that run deeper than poor results. As players boarded their luxury coach, Winks exchanged what witnesses described as "foul-mouthed verbal volleys" with fans who had travelled hundreds of miles to watch another abject display.
Supporter Nimesh Patel's assessment captured the mood among Leicester's travelling faithful:
This is the worst I've seen them play in a long time. I There is no soul, no compassion, no urgency and no real play or creativity. And for us to come hundreds of miles to watch this is atrocious.
The chants of "You're not fit to wear the shirt" that rang out at Portsmouth reflect a complete breakdown in the relationship between highly-paid professionals and supporters watching their club disintegrate.
Fans have called for the club to abandon their expensive imports and turn to academy products for the remaining fixtures. The sight of millionaire footballers failing to show basic commitment while collecting Championship-leading salaries has proved too much for supporters who remember when Leicester players died for the shirt.
Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic attempted damage limitation, telling BBC Radio Leicester he understood fan frustrations were "shared" by players. His insistence that "belief is still there" rang hollow to supporters who have watched their team win once since February.
The anger extends beyond the playing staff. Owner Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha and sporting director Jon Rudkin have faced sustained protests, with fans demanding wholesale changes at boardroom level.
The death of former owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in 2018 marked a turning point in the club's fortunes. The Thai businessman who bankrolled their miracle has been succeeded by leadership that supporters believe has lost touch with the club's identity.
Relegation to League One would trigger a financial earthquake at the King Power Stadium. The club faces an exodus of high earners whose contracts contain relegation clauses, while those without such provisions could leave Leicester paying Premier League wages in English football's third tier.
Leicester assembled one of the Championship's most expensive squads following last season's Premier League relegation. Another drop would leave them with a wage structure completely unsuitable for League One football, where salary caps and financial restrictions create a vastly different landscape.
The financial implications include:
The King Power Stadium's 32,000 capacity would dwarf most League One venues. Leicester's training ground, scouting network and academy setup all reflect Premier League ambitions that now mock their League One reality.
The contrast with their 2016 triumph could not be starker. The team that conquered England with spirit, organisation and unity has been replaced by expensive mercenaries who inspire neither fear in opponents nor faith in supporters.
Tuesday's match against Hull represents more than three points. It's a referendum on whether any fight remains in a squad that has surrendered its right to wear Leicester's shirt with pride. Victory keeps mathematical hope alive, but defeat could confirm their fate with two matches still to play.
The real work begins when the season ends. Whether in the Championship or League One, Leicester must rebuild not just their squad but their entire identity. The fairy tale that captivated world football has become a nightmare that serves as warning to every club about how quickly glory can turn to disaster.
For a fanbase that experienced the impossible in 2016, watching their club sink to English football's third tier represents a betrayal that runs deeper than any league position. The question isn't whether Leicester can survive this season, but whether the club that emerges from this wreckage will bear any resemblance to the one that once conquered England against all odds.
Leicester City are 8 points from safety with only 9 points available from their remaining 3 matches. They need to win all three games and hope other results go their way to avoid relegation to League One.
Leicester City won the Premier League in 2016 as 5000-1 outsiders in one of football's greatest fairy tale stories. They now face dropping to League One just 8 years later.
Harry Winks had a confrontation with Leicester City supporters outside Fratton Park after their defeat to Portsmouth. Witnesses described 'foul-mouthed verbal volleys' between the England international and fans who had travelled to watch the match.
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Leicester City received a 6-point deduction for historical spending breaches. However, they would still be in the relegation zone even without this punishment due to their poor Championship form.
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