In 1919, when league football resumed afterWorld War I, Leicester Fosse ceased trading due to financial difficulties. The club was reformed as "Leicester City Football Club", particularly appropriate as the borough of Leicester had recently been givencity status. Following the name change, the club enjoyed moderate success in the 1920s; under themanagement ofPeter Hodge, who left in May 1926 to be replaced two months later byWillie Orr, and with record goalscorerArthur Chandler in the side,[7] they won the Division Two title in1924–25[8] and recorded their second-highest league finish in1928–29 as runners-up by a single point toThe Wednesday.[3] However, the 1930s saw a downturn in fortunes, with the club relegated in1934–35[9] and, after promotion in1936–37,[10] another relegation in1938–39 would see them finish the decade in Division Two.[5][11]
Leicester reached theFA Cup final for the first time in their history in1949,[5][12] losing 3–1 toWolverhampton Wanderers. The club, however, was celebrating a week later when a draw on the last day of the season ensured survival in Division Two.[13][14] Leicester won the Division Two championship in 1954,[15] with the help ofArthur Rowley, one of the club's most prolificstrikers. Although they were relegated from Division One the next season, underDave Halliday they returned in 1957,[16] with Rowley scoring a club record 44 goals in one season.[7] Leicester remained in Division One until 1969,[17] their longest period in the top flight.
Under the management ofMatt Gillies and his assistantBert Johnson, Leicester reached the FA Cup final on another two occasions, but lost in both1961 and1963.[5] As they lost to double winnersTottenham Hotspur in 1961, they were England's representatives in the1961–62 European Cup Winners' Cup. In the1962–63 season, the club led the First Division during the winter. Thanks to a sensational run of form on icy and frozen pitches, the team became nicknamed the"Ice Kings" and eventually finished fourth, the club's best post-war finish. Gillies guided Leicester to their first piece of silverware in 1964, when Leicester beatStoke City 4–3 on aggregate to win theLeague Cup for the first time.[5] Leicester also reached the League Cup final the following year but lost 3–2 on aggregate toChelsea. Gillies and Johnson received praise for their version of the "whirl" and the "switch" system, a system that had previously been used by theAustrian andHungarian national teams.[18] After a bad start to the season, Matt Gillies resigned in November 1968. His successorFrank O'Farrell was unable to prevent relegation, but the club reached the FA Cup final in1969, losing to Manchester City 1–0.
In 1971, Leicester were promoted back to the First Division, and won theCharity Shield for the first time.[5] Due todouble winnersArsenal's commitments in European competition, Second Division winners Leicester were invited to play FA Cup runners-upLiverpool, beating them 1–0[5] thanks to a goal bySteve Whitworth.[19]Jimmy Bloomfield was appointed for the new season, and his team remained in the First Division for his tenure. Leicester reached theFA Cup semi-final in1973–74.[20]
Frank McLintock, a noted player for seven years for Leicester in a successful period from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, succeeded Bloomfield in 1977. On 19 March 1977, Winston White became Leicester's first black player in an away game atStoke City.[21] The club was relegated at the end of that season and McLintock resigned.Jock Wallace resumed the tradition of successful Scottish managers (after Peter Hodge and Matt Gillies) by steering Leicester to the Second Division championship in1980.[22] Wallace was unable to keep Leicester in the First Division, but they reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1982. Under Wallace, one of City's most famous home-grown players,Gary Lineker, emerged into the first-team squad. Leicester's next manager wasGordon Milne, who achieved promotion in 1983. Lineker helped Leicester maintain their place in the First Division, but was sold to Everton in 1985; two years later Leicester were relegated, having failed to find a suitable replacement to partnerAlan Smith, who was sold to Arsenal after Leicester went down.
Milne left in 1986 and was replaced in 1987 byDavid Pleat, who was sacked in January 1991 with Leicester in danger of relegation to theThird Division.Gordon Lee was put in charge of the club until the end of the season. Leicester won their final game of the season, which guided them clear of relegation to the third tier of the Football League.[5]
Brian Little took over in 1991 and by the end of the 1991–92 season Leicester had reached the playoff final for a place in the newPremier League, but lost toBlackburn Rovers by way of a penalty from former Leicester strikerMike Newell. The club also reached the playoff final the following year, losing 4–3 toSwindon Town, having come back from 3–0 down. In 1993–94, Leicester were promoted from the playoffs, beatingDerby County 2–1 in the final.[5] Little quit as Leicester manager the following November to take charge atAston Villa, and his successorMark McGhee was unable to save Leicester from finishing second-from-bottom in the 1994–95 season.
McGhee left the club unexpectedly in December 1995, while Leicester were top of theFirst Division, to take charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers.[23] McGhee was replaced byMartin O'Neill.[5] Under O'Neill, Leicester qualified for the1996 Football League play-offs and beatCrystal Palace 2–1 inthe final through a 120th-minuteSteve Claridge goal to gain promotion to the Premier League. Following promotion, Leicester established themselves in the Premier League with four successive top ten finishes. O'Neill ended Leicester's 33-year wait for a major trophy, winning the League Cup twice, in1997 and2000, and Leicester were runners-up in1999. Thus, the club qualified for theUEFA Cup in1997–98 and2000–01, the club's first European competition since 1961. In June 2000, O'Neill left Leicester City to take over as manager ofCeltic.
Martin O'Neill was replaced by formerEngland under-21 coachPeter Taylor. During this time, one of Leicester's European appearances ended in a 3–1 defeat toRed Star Belgrade on 28 September 2000 in theUEFA Cup.[24] Leicester began well under Taylor's management, topping the Premier League for two weeks in the autumn and remaining in contention for a European place for most of the campaign, before a late-season collapse dragged them down to a 13th-place finish.
Taylor was sacked after a poor start to the2001–02 season, and his successorDave Bassett lasted just six months before being succeeded by his assistantMicky Adams, the change of management being announced just before relegation was confirmed. Leicester won just five league matches all season.
Leicester moved into the new 32,314-seatWalkers Stadium at the start of the2002–03 season, ending 111 years at Filbert Street.Walkers, the Leicester-basedcrisp manufacturers, acquired the naming rights for a ten-year period.[25] In October 2002, the club went into administration with debts of £30 million. Some of the reasons were the loss of TV money (ITV Digital, itself in administration, had promised money to First Division clubs for TV rights), the large wage bill, lower-than-expected fees for players transferred to other clubs and the cost of the new stadium.[26] Adams was banned from the transfer market for most of the season, even after the club was rescued with a takeover by a consortium led by Gary Lineker.[5] Adams guided Leicester to the runners-up spot in Division One and automatic promotion back to the Premier League with more than 90 points. However, Leicester lasted only one season in the top flight and were relegated to the newly labelledChampionship, previously known as Division One.
When Adams resigned as manager in October 2004,Craig Levein was appointed boss. This would prove to be an unsuccessful period and after 15 months in charge, Levein was sacked, having failed to get The Foxes anywhere near the promotion places. Assistant managerRob Kelly took over ascaretaker manager, and after winning three out of four matches, was appointed to see out the rest of the season. Kelly steered Leicester to safety and in April 2006 was given the manager's job on a permanent basis.[5]
In October 2006, ex-Portsmouth chairmanMilan Mandarić was quoted as saying he was interested in buying the club, reportedly at a price of around £6 million, with the current playing squad valued at roughly £4.2 million. The takeover was formally announced on 13 February 2007.[27] On 11 April 2007, Rob Kelly was sacked as manager andNigel Worthington appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the season. Worthington saved the club from relegation, but was not offered the job on a permanent basis. On 25 May 2007, the club announced formerMilton Keynes Dons managerMartin Allen as their new manager with a three-year contract. Allen's relationship with Mandarić became tense and after only four matches, Allen left by mutual consent on 29 August 2007. On 13 September 2007, Mandarić announcedGary Megson as the new manager of the club, citing Megson's "wealth of experience" as a deciding factor in the appointment. However, Megson left on 24 October 2007 after only six weeks in charge, following an approach made for his services byBolton Wanderers. Mandarić placedFrank Burrows andGerry Taggart in the shared position as caretaker managers until a professional manager was appointed.
On 22 November,Ian Holloway was appointed manager, and he became the first Leicester manager in over 50 years to win his first league match in charge, beatingBristol City 2–0.[28] However, this success did not last, and Leicester were relegated from the Championship at the end of the2007–08 season. Holloway left by mutual consent after less than a season at the club, being replaced byNigel Pearson.
Rise back to Premier League and change of ownership (2008–2015)
The2008–09 campaign was Leicester's first season outside the top twolevels of English football, but they hit this nadir only seven years before becoming the2015–16 Premier League champions – one of the fastest rises to the top of theEnglish football league system.[29] Following relegation to the third tier the previous season, Leicester returned to the Championship at the first attempt in2008–09, finishing as champions ofLeague One after a 2–0 win atSouthend United, with two matches in hand. The2009–10 season saw Leicester's revival under manager Nigel Pearson continue, as the club finished fifth and reached theChampionship play-offs in their first season back in the second tier. Though coming from 2–0 down on aggregate, away toCardiff City, to briefly lead 3–2, they eventually lost to apenalty shoot-out in the play-off semi-final. At the end of the season, Pearson left Leicester to become the manager ofHull City, claiming he felt the club seemed reluctant to keep him, and thatPaulo Sousa had been the club's guest at both play-off games, hinting at a possible replacement. On 7 July 2010, Sousa was confirmed as Pearson's replacement.[30]
In August 2010, following agreement on a three-year shirt sponsorship deal withduty-free retailers theKing Power Group, Mandarić sold the club to Thai-led consortium Asian Football Investments (AFI), fronted by King Power Group'sVichai and his sonAiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.[31] Mandarić, an investor in AFI,[32] was retained as club chairman.[33] On 1 October 2010, after a poor start that saw Leicester bottom of the Championship with only one win out of the first nine league matches, Paulo Sousa was sacked by the club with immediate effect.[34] Two days later,Sven-Göran Eriksson, who had been approached by the club after the 6–1 loss to then bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth two weeks earlier, was appointed as his replacement, signing a two-year contract with the club.[35][36] On 10 February 2011, Vichai, part of the Thai-based Asia Football Investments consortium, was appointed new chairman of the club after Mandarić left in November to take overSheffield Wednesday.[37]
Leicester were viewed as one of the favourites for promotion in the 2011–12 season, but on 24 October 2011, following an inconsistent start with the Foxes winning just 5 out of their first 13 matches, Eriksson left the club by mutual consent.[38] Three weeks later, Nigel Pearson returned to the club as Eriksson's successor. Pearson would go on to lead The Foxes to a sixth-place finish in the 2012–13 season, ensuring Leicester were in the Championship play-offs. However, Leicester lost the playoff semi-final 3–2 on aggregate toWatford afterManuel Almunia made a double save from anAnthony Knockaert late penalty andTroy Deeney scored at the other end following a swift counterattack.[39]
In 2014, Leicester's march up the league system hit a breakthrough. Their 2–1 home win overSheffield Wednesday, combined with losses byQueens Park Rangers andDerby County, allowed Leicester City to clinch promotion to the Premier League after a ten-year absence. Later that month, a win atBolton Wanderers saw Leicester become champions of the2013–14 Championship, a joint record 7th second-tier title.
Leicester started their first season in thePremier League since 2004 with a good run of results in their first five league matches, starting with a 2–2 draw on the opening day againstEverton.[40] The Foxes then claimed their firstPremier League win since May 2004, with a 1–0 win at Stoke City.[41] On 21 September 2014, Leicester went on to produce one of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history, beatingManchester United 5–3 atKing Power Stadium. They madePremier League history by becoming the first team to beat Manchester United from a two-goal deficit since the league's launch in 1992.[42]
During the2014–15 season, a dismal run of form saw the team slip to the bottom of the league table with only 19 points from 29 matches. By 3 April 2015, they were seven points adrift from safety. This could have brought a sudden end to Leicester's seven-year rise, but seven wins from their final nine league matches meant The Foxes finished the season in 14th place with 41 points. They finished the season with a 5–1 thrashing of relegated Queens Park Rangers, and Leicester's upturn in results was described as one of the Premier League's greatest escapes from relegation.[43][44] They also became only the third team inPremier League history to survive after being bottom atChristmas (the other two beingWest Bromwich Albion in2005 andSunderland in2014), and no team with fewer than 20 points from 29 matches had previously stayed up.
Premier League champions, FA Cup winners, relegation and promotion (2015–present)
The usual starting line-up of the Premier League winning team[45]
On 30 June 2015,Nigel Pearson was sacked, with the club stating "the working relationship is no longer viable." The sacking was linked to a number ofpublic relations issues involving Pearson throughout the season, with the final straw involving his sonJames' role in a "racist sex tape" made by three Leicester reserve players in Thailand during a post-season goodwill tour.[46][47][48] Leicester reacted by appointing former Chelsea managerClaudio Ranieri as their new manager for the new2015–16 Premier League season.[49] Despite an initially sceptical reaction to Ranieri's appointment, the club made an exceptional start to the season.[50] StrikerJamie Vardy scored 13 goals over 11 consecutive matches from August to November, breakingRuud van Nistelrooy's Premier League record of scoring in 10 consecutive matches.[51] On 19 December, Leicester defeated Everton 3–2 atGoodison Park to top the Premier League on Christmas Day, having been bottom exactly 12 months earlier.[52] A 2–0 victory at Sunderland on 10 April, coupled with Tottenham Hotspur's 3–0 win over Manchester United, ensured Leicester's qualification for theUEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.[53]
Leicester won thePremier League on 2 May 2016 after Tottenham lost a 2–0 lead against Chelsea, drawing 2–2 at the "Battle ofStamford Bridge".[54][55]Bookmakers thought Leicester's victory was so unlikely thatLadbrokes andWilliam Hill offered odds of 5,000–1 for it at the start of the season, which subsequently resulted in the largest payout in British sporting history with total winnings of £25 million.[56][57][58] A number of newspapers described Leicester's title win as the greatest sporting shock; multiplebookmakers includingLadbrokes and William Hill had never paid out at such long odds for any sport.[59][60][61] One book was titled "The Unbelievables", a spin-off harking back toArsenal's undefeated team "The Invincibles".[62] The scale of the surprise title victory attracted global attention for the club and the city of Leicester.[63]The Economist declared it would be "pored over for management lessons."[64] Several commentators viewed it as an inspiration to other clubs and fundamentally transforming expectations.[65]
Leicester became known for their counterattacking style of play, "incredible pace in the areas it is most essential" and defensive solidarity.[66] Former bossNigel Pearson was credited by pundits and fans as having laid the foundations for Leicester's title winning season.[67] Reacting to the title win, then executive chairman of thePremier LeagueRichard Scudamore said:
If this was a once in every 5,000-year event, then we've effectively got another 5,000 years of hope ahead of us.
Leicester, while performing well in theUEFA Champions League, struggled domestically during 2016–17, spending much of the first few months in the bottom half of thePremier League table. In December 2016, Ranieri was awardedcoach of the year and Leicesterteam of the year at theBBC Sports Personality of the Year.[68] However, on 23 February 2017, Ranieri was dismissed due to the club's continuing poor form, resulting in them being only one point above the relegation zone. The sacking was met with significant upset and anger from sections of the media, with Gary Lineker calling the sacking "very sad" and "inexplicable",[69] while Manchester United managerJosé Mourinho blamed it on "selfish players".[69] Rumours began emerging some days later that players had been meeting with the owners to discuss Ranieri's sacking without Ranieri knowing, which sparked widespread outrage over social media, but these were never proven.[70]Craig Shakespeare took over as caretaker manager, and in his first match in charge, Leicester won 3–1 against 5th placed Liverpool.[71] In his second match as caretaker, Shakespeare led Leicester to another 3–1 victory over Hull City.[72] Following those two results, it was decided on 12 March 2017 that Shakespeare would become manager until the end of the season.[73]
The2016–17 campaign was also the first season in 15 years that Leicester qualified for European football. Leicester were placed inGroup G of the2016–17 UEFA Champions League, alongsidePorto,Copenhagen andClub Brugge. In their inaugural Champions League campaign, they went undefeated in their first five matches to progress to the knockout stages as group winners.[74]The Foxes then facedLa Liga clubSevilla in theround of 16 and defeated the Spanish side 2–0 on the night, and 3–2 on aggregate to advance to thequarter-finals.[75] There they facedAtlético Madrid, and drew 1–1 in the second leg, but lost 2–1 on aggregate after losing 1–0 in the first leg. This put an end to Leicester's 2016–17 European campaign, and they finished as Champions League quarter-finalists.[76] Despite the loss, Leicester remained unbeaten at home in the 2016–17 Champions League.
Craig Shakespeare, having impressed during his caretaker spell, was appointed full-time on a three-year contract.[77] However, following a poor start to the season he was sacked in October 2017 after four months officially in charge, with Leicester in 18th place in the table.[78] He was replaced by former Southampton bossClaude Puel on 25 October 2017. By Christmas, Leicester were in 8th place in the Premier League and finished 9th at the end of the season.
On 27 October 2018, aLeonardo AW169 helicopter carrying chairmanVichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four othersmalfunctioned and crashed outside the club's stadium, shortly after taking off from the pitch. This followed a home match againstWest Ham United, and all five people on board the helicopter died. One year later, The Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Memorial Garden officially opened on 27 October 2019, before The Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Statue was unveiled on 4 April 2022, which would have been Srivaddhanaprabha's 64th birthday.[79][80][81]
Leicester suffered a poor run of results in 2019 which included four successive home defeats, and following a 4–1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, manager Claude Puel was sacked on 24 February 2019 with the club in 12th place.[82] Former Liverpool managerBrendan Rodgers was appointed as his replacement,[83] and the club finished the season again in 9th place.
The2019–20 season started with the team picking up 38 points from their first 16 matches, which included a record eight-game winning streak from 19 October to 8 December. On 25 October 2019, Leicester recorded a0–9 away win atSouthampton, thejoint-largest win in Premier League history and thelargest away win in English top-flight history.[84] In the same season, the club reached the semi-final stage of theLeague Cup but lost out toAston Villa over two legs.[85] Despite being in the top four for most of the season, Leicester suffered a drop-off in form at the end of the season, winning only two of their nine games following the resumption of league play due to thecoronavirus pandemic. Three defeats in their last four matches saw them slide into fifth, the second-highest Premier League finish in their history, securing a place in theUEFA Europa League for the following season.[86]
On 15 May 2021, Leicester City won theFA Cup for the first time (having lost all of their previous four finals), securing a second major trophy in the space of five years;Youri Tielemans scored the only goal againstChelsea atWembley Stadium.[87] The club also went on to win the2021 FA Community Shield on 7 August 2021, the second in their history.[88] After finishing 5th again in the2020–21 Premier League, Leicester qualified for the Europa League for the second consecutive year. In their2021–22 UEFA Europa League campaign, Leicester came third in their group and were transferred to the newly establishedUEFA Europa Conference League. They went on to reach their first European semi-final, losing to eventual winnersAS Roma over two legs.[89] In thePremier League, the club finished in 8th place.[90]
The club's finances were heavily impacted by theCOVID pandemic, with the parent companyKing Power International Group being in the travel retail (DF&TR) sector.[91][92] During the 2022 summer transfer window, Leicester were restricted in their spending amid concerns over breachingFinancial Fair Play regulations. In addition to this, the previous summer saw the club spent more than £50 million on new players without selling a key player for profit. This dramatically increased their wages-to-turnover ratio, and failure to qualify for European football in the preceding season (2021–22) was also a factor in reduced spending during the summer of 2022.[93] At the same time, the club were also continuing to balance investment in infrastructure, to better compete with thePremier League's 'big six' in the long term.[94][95][96]
Brendan Rodgers left the club on 2 April 2023, after four years in charge, with ten games remaining and the team in the relegation zone.[97]Dean Smith was appointed as his replacement until the end of the season.[98] On 28 May, despite a 2–1 home win overWest Ham United, Leicester City were relegated as a consequence ofEverton's 1–0 home victory overAFC Bournemouth.[99] This ended the club's nine-year stint in the Premier League, making them only the second former Premier League champions to be relegated from the league since it began in1992–93, followingBlackburn Rovers in1998–99.[100]
Leicester were promoted back to the top flight in 2024.
On 16 June 2023,Enzo Maresca was appointed as the club's new manager ahead of the2023–24 EFL Championship season.[101] Leicester went on to make their best start to a league season, and the best since the league became known as the Championship in2004–05.[102] They were promoted back to the Premier League as champions at the first attempt.[103] This was also their eighth second tier title which is a record for the division.[104]
Leicester City's first home colours worn from 1884 to 1886.
This shirt, worn in 1948, was the first to bear the club's badge.
The club's traditional home colours of royal blue shirts, white shorts and either white or blue socks have been used for the team's kits throughout most of its history. In more recent times, the club have alternated between either white or blue shorts.
An image of afox was first incorporated into the club crest in 1948. Since 1992, the club's badge has featured a fox's head overlaid onto acinquefoil similar to the one used on thecoat of arms of Leicester.[105][106]
Leicester City's badge for the2009–10 season to commemorate 125 years as a football club.
The club's stadium move in 2002 prompted some changes to the crest, and the design has since evolved further.[107] For the2009–10 season, the club's 125th anniversary year, a special edition crest was worn on the home and away kits.[108] For this season's away kit, there was also a return to the first colours worn by the club (originally Leicester Fosse), albeit with black shorts as opposed to the original white.[109][107] This kit returned once again for the2023–24 season, having also featured during the2004–05 season.[110]
In 1941, the club adopted the playing of the "Post Horn Galop" at home matches, to signal both teams entering the pitch.[111] To the present day, the tune is usually played live on the pitch for the first half, while a modern version of the tune is played over thePA system for the second half.[112] The club also play a modern version of their anthem "When You're Smiling" before kick-off on home matchdays, with the connection to the song dating back to the late 1970s.[113]Foxes Never Quit is the club'smotto, with these words placed above the tunnel inside the stadium.
Since 2018, Leicester City's kit has been manufactured by German sportswear companyAdidas.[115] Previous manufacturers have includedBukta (1972–76, 1990–92),Admiral (1976–79, 1983–88),Umbro (1979–83), Scoreline (1988–90), Fox Leisure (1992–2000),Le Coq Sportif (1999–2005),JJB (2005–07),Jako (2007–09),Joma (2009–10),Burrda (2010–12)[116] andPuma (2012–18).[117]
In their early years, Leicester played at numerous grounds, but have only played at two since they joined theFootball League. When first starting out, they played on a field by Fosse Road,[124] hence the original club name Leicester Fosse. They moved from there toVictoria Park, and subsequently to Belgrave Road. Upon turning professional the club moved to Mill Lane.[124] After eviction from Mill Lane the club played at theCounty Cricket ground while seeking a new ground. The club secured the use of an area of land byFilbert Street and moved there in 1891.[124]
Some improvements by noted football architectArchibald Leitch occurred in the Edwardian era, and in 1927 a new two-tier stand was built,[124] nicknamed "the Double Decker", which would persist until the ground's closure in 2002. With the exception of the addition of compulsory seating, the ground saw no further development until 1993, when the Main Stand was demolished and replaced by the new Carling Stand. The addition of the new stand, while the rest of the ground had been untouched since the 1920s, led managerMartin O'Neill to joke that he used to "lead new signings out backwards" so they only saw the Carling Stand.[125]
King Power Stadium, formerly known as the Walkers Stadium, has been the home of Leicester City since 2002.
The club moved away from Filbert Street in 2002, to a new 32,500-capacity all-seater stadium located less than 300 yards away.[126][127] The site's address, Filbert Way, retains a link with the club's former home. The first match hosted at the stadium was a 1–1 friendly draw againstAthletic Bilbao, Bilbao'sTiko scored the first goal at the stadium andJordan Stewart became the first Leicester player to score.[128] The first competitive match was a 2–0 victory against Watford.[129]
The stadium was known as theWalkers Stadium until 2011 in a sponsorship deal with Leicester-based food manufacturersWalkers. On 19 August 2010, it emerged that the new ownersKing Power wanted to rename the stadium King Power Stadium, and had plans to increase the capacity to 42,000 should Leicester secure promotion.[130] On 5 July 2011, it was announced that the Walkers Stadium would now be known as King Power Stadium.[131]
The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 32,262, with plans formally approved in December 2023 to extend this to 40,000.[132][133] In 2020, the club moved into a new state-of-the-art training complex in the Leicestershire village ofSeagrave, described as being "one of the world's most advanced training facilities." The club's former training ground Belvoir Drive now serves as the training ground forLeicester City Women.[134]
The origin of the club's anthem "When You're Smiling", sung by supporters at home and away matches, dates back to the late 1970s with a modern version of the tune currently played before kick-off on home matchdays.[113] Like many other clubs inEnglish football, Leicester have had links tohooliganism. InEngland and Wales, Leicester were listed as the second most violent football club in August 2000,[140] and averaged the fifth highest number of hooligans at matches between 2019 and 2023.[141] During the2022–23 and2023–24 seasons, the club were ranked third and fourth respectively for football banning orders.[142][143]
Leicester City's current manager isRuud van Nistelrooy.Nigel Pearson and Peter Hodge have both had two separate spells in charge of the club.Dave Bassett also had a second spell as caretaker manager after his spell as permanent coach.[144] Up untilPeter Hodge was hired afterWorld War I, the club had no official manager. A nominal role of secretary/manager was employed, though the board and the selection committee took control of most team affairs. It was Hodge who instated a system at the club for the manager having complete control over player and staff recruitment, team selection, andtactics. Though Hodge was originally also titled "secretary/manager" he has retrospectively been named as the club's first official "manager."[145]
Historical league positions of Leicester City in the Football League
Graham Cross holds the record for the most Leicester appearances, with the defender playing 600 games between 1960 and 1976, increased from 599 following the club's decision to incorporate the 1971 Charity Shield into official records.[146] However,Adam Black holds the record for the most appearances in the league with 528 between 1920 and 1935.[147]
StrikerArthur Chandler is currently the club's all-time record goal scorer, netting 273 in his 12 years at the club; he also found the net in 8 consecutive matches in the 1924–25 season.[3] The most goals managed in a single season for the club is 44 byArthur Rowley, in the 1956–57 season.[3] The fastest goal in the club's history was scored byMatty Fryatt, when he netted after just nine seconds againstPreston North End in April 2006.[148]
Jamie Vardy broke the Premier League record by scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League games, scoring 13 in the process during the 2015–16 Premier League season.[149] Vardy's goal at Sunderland on 10 April 2016 saw him become the first Leicester player since Gary Lineker in 1984–85 to score 20 top flight goals for the club, having already become Leicester's highest Premier League scorer in a single season,[150] ultimately finishing with 23 and thePremier League Golden Boot for the season.[151]
The record transfer fee paid by Leicester for a player was in the region of £32-to-40 million for midfielderYouri Tielemans fromAS Monaco.[152] The highest transfer fee received for a Leicester player was approximately £80 million fromManchester United forHarry Maguire; at the time of the transfer this was the eleventh-highest-ever fee,[153] the highest-ever move between two English teams,[154] and the highest-ever for a defender.[155]
The club's record home attendance is 47,298, for a fifth-roundFA Cup match againstTottenham Hotspur atFilbert Street in 1928.[156] The current record home attendance at the current stadium is 32,242, for aPremier League match againstSunderland on 8 August 2015.[157] The highest-ever attendance for a non-competitive football match at King Power Stadium stands at 32,188, for a pre-season friendly againstReal Madrid on 30 July 2011.[158]
Leicester's highest league finish is first in the Premier League in2015–16.[29] The club currently holds the all-time record for second tier titles with eight.[104]
Leicester's longest unbeaten run in the league was between 1 November 2008 and 7 March 2009, in which the team remained unbeaten for 23 games on their way to theLeague One title.[159] The club's longest run of consecutive victories in league football is currently nine, which the team achieved between 21 December 2013 and 1 February 2014 in theEFL Championship.
In the 2015–16 season, Leicester achieved many new club records in whatThe Daily Telegraph described as "one of the most astonishing league titles of all-time".[160] They recorded the fewest losses in any of the club's previousPremier League seasons, the fewest away defeats in any top-flight season, and the most consecutive wins in the top flight. Those consecutive victories came againstWatford,Newcastle United,Crystal Palace,Southampton andSunderland. Coincidentally, Leicester kept a record of five straight clean sheets against each of the same five opponents. The King Power Stadium's home crowds in 2015–16 saw their team beaten just once in thePremier League all season.[150]
Leicester made theirUEFA Champions League debut in the2016–17 season, their fourth appearance in European football. The club became the third English team to win on their Champions League debut, after Manchester United in 1994 and Newcastle United in 1997. They also became the first English team to win away on their Champions League debut, and win all three of their opening games in the competition.[161][162] Leicester are currently the first and only team in Champions League history to keep clean sheets in each of their opening four games in the competition.[163] In March 2017, the club became the 50th to reach theUEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
On 25 October 2019, the Leicester team set the record for the highest margin of away victory in English top-flight history, defeating Southampton9–0 atSt Mary's Stadium. In doing so they also tied the record for the highest margin of victory in Premier League history, equalling Manchester United's9–0 home victory overIpswich Town in 1995.[164] As a result, Leicester City hold the all-time top tier records for the biggest defeat, biggest away win, and highest-scoring draw.
In the2023–24 EFL Championship season, the club made its best start to a league season, and the best in the competition's history (since being known as the Championship).[165] During this period, the club also set a new record of six straight away wins, matched the all-time record of nine consecutive league wins home and away, and went four home matches without conceding for the first time since 1973.[166]
Since their election to theFootball League in 1894, Leicester City have spent all but one season within the top two tiers of English football. During the2008–09 season, they played inLeague One, the third tier of English football, after the club's relegation fromthe Championship in the previous season. However, the club made an instant return to the second tier and were promoted as2008–09 League One champions.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
^Barata, Pedro (5 August 2019)."Football's most expensive XI".Marca. Adapted by Conor Clancy.Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved18 April 2021.
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