The club was founded in 1884 as Leicester Fosse F.C, before they became known as Leicester City in 1919, coinciding with the city of Leicester gaining officialcity status. They moved toFilbert Street in 1891, wereelected tothe Football League in 1894, and moved to the nearbyKing Power Stadium in 2002 (formerly known as the Walkers Stadium).
Leicester City have won seven prominent trophies within the English football league system, including onePremier League, oneFA Cup, threeLeague Cups, and twoFA Community Shields. They are currently the sixth most successful team inEnglish football since the turn of the century, as one of only five clubs to have won all three majordomestic trophies since 2000.[1] The club's2015–16 Premier League title win attracted global attention, and they became one of seven clubs to have won the Premier League since itsinception in 1992.[2] Prior to 2015–16, Leicester's highest league finish was second place in the1928–29 First Division.
The club's longest period of time spent at the top level ofEnglish football came between 1957 and 1969. During these years, Leicester reached threeFA Cup finals, competed in European football for the first time, and recorded their third highest ever league finish. The club have since participated in a further six European campaigns and twoFA Cup finals, reaching theUEFA Champions League quarter-finals in2016–17, winning theFA Cup in2021, and reaching theUEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals in2021–22. Leicester won the League Cup in1964,1997, and2000 respectively, and were finalists in1964–65 and1998–99.
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 prolific everstrikers. Although they were relegated from Division One the following season, underDave Halliday they returned in 1957, with Rowley scoring a club record 44 goals in one season.[16][7] Leicester remained in Division One for 12 years until 1969,[17] their longest period to date in the top division of English football. Halliday left the club in October 1958.
Under the management ofMatt Gillies, who was appointed on 8 November 1958, 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 the UEFA 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 ever 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, after securing a three-year shirt sponsorship agreement with the Thaiduty-free retailerKing Power, Mandarić sold the club to Asian Football Investments (AFI), a Thai-led consortium headed by King Power ownerVichai Srivaddhanaprabha and his son,Aiyawatt.[31] Mandarić, who remained an investor in AFI,[32] continued to serve as the club's chairman.[33]
On 1 October 2010, after a poor start that saw Leicester bottom of the Championship with only one win from their first nine league matches,Paulo Sousa was sacked with immediate effect.[34] Two days later,Sven-Göran Eriksson, who had been approached by the club after a 6–1 defeat to bottom-of-the-tablePortsmouth two weeks earlier, was appointed as his replacement, signing a two-year contract.[35][36]
On 10 February 2011, Vichai, representing the Thai-based Asian Football Investments consortium, was appointed chairman of the club following Mandarić’s departure 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 over Sheffield 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, which was a joint-record 7th second-tier title.
Leicester started their first season in the Premier 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 first Premier 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, overcomingManchester United 5–3 atKing Power Stadium. They made Premier 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 in Premier 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. 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.[45][46][47]
On 13 July 2015, the club appointedClaudio Ranieri as their new manager ahead of the 2015–16 Premier League season.[48] Despite an initially sceptical reaction to Ranieri's appointment, Leicester made an exceptional start to the season.[49] 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.[50] 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.[51]
The usual starting line-up of the Premier League winning team[52]
The club qualified for theUEFA Champions League for the first time in their history on 10 April 2016, as a result of a 2–0 away win atSunderland and Tottenham Hotspur's 3–0 win over Manchester United.[53] The2016–17 Champions League campaign would also be the club's first season competing in European football for 15 years.
On 2 May 2016, Leicester City won the Premier League, afterChelsea came from two goals down to draw 2–2 withTottenham Hotspur at the "Battle ofStamford Bridge".[54][55]Bookmakers thought Leicester's title win 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 success as the greatest sporting shock ever; multiple bookmakers including Ladbrokes 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 to Arsenal'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 boss Nigel Pearson was credited by pundits and fans as having laid the foundations for Leicester's title-winning season.[67] Reacting to the title win, executive chairman of the Premier 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 the UEFA Champions League, struggled domestically during 2016–17, spending much of the first few months in the bottom half of the Premier 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]
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] Leicester then facedLa Liga clubSevilla in theround of 16 and were defeated 2–1 in the first leg at theVicente Calderon Stadium. In the second leg at King Power Stadium, Leicester won 2–0 on the night, and 3–2 on aggregate, to advance to thequarter-finals.[75] They then 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 first European campaign in 15 years, and they exited the competition as quarter-finalists.[76] Leicester did however, maintain an unbeaten home record throughout their 2016–17 UEFA Champions League campaign.
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 byClaude 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, following a home match againstWest Ham United, aLeonardo AW169 helicopter carrying chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four othersmalfunctioned and crashed outside the club's stadium. This happened shortly after take off from the pitch, and all five people on board the helicopter died. One year later, The Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Memorial Garden 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]
During the early months of 2019, Leicester went on a seven match winless run, which included four successive home defeats. Following a 1–4 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, and the club finished the season again in 9th place.[83]
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 5th place, the second-highest Premier League finish in their history, securing a place in theUEFA Europa League for the following season.[86]
The club's finances were heavily impacted by theCOVID pandemic, with the parent company King Power International Group being in the travel retail sector.[87][88] Despite this, the club spent £57 million on transfer fees in the summer of 2020, which came in at a net spend of £10 million, with £46 million generated from player sales.[89] After finishing 5th again in the2020–21 Premier League, Leicester qualified for the UEFA Europa League for the second consecutive year. On 15 May 2021, Leicester City won the FA Cup for the first time, having lost four previous finals in1949,1961,1963 and 1969, securing a second major trophy in the space of five years.Youri Tielemans scored the only goal against Chelsea atWembley Stadium.[90] The club subsequently became the sixth most successful team inEnglish football since the turn of the century, as one of only five clubs to have won all three major domestic trophies since 2000.[1]
In the 2021 summer transfer window, Leicester again spent more than £50 million on new signings, but did not sell any key players for high profit, which went against the club's model from previous years. The summer of 2021 dramatically increased Leicester's wages-to-turnover ratio, and the club failed to qualify for European football in the Premier League season which followed (2021–22), finishing in 8th place.[91] On 7 August 2021, Leicester won theFA Community Shield for the second time in their history.[92] 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 out to eventual winnersAS Roma over two legs.[93] Leicester's spending during the 2022 summer transfer window was heavily restricted, amid concerns over breachingFinancial Fair Play regulations.[94] At the same time however, the club were reportedly prioritising investment in infrastructure, to better compete with the Premier League's 'big six' in the long term.[95][96][97]
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.[98]Dean Smith was appointed as his replacement until the end of the season.[99] On 28 May 2023, despite a 2–1 home win overWest Ham United, Leicester City were relegated as a consequence of Everton's 1–0 home victory overAFC Bournemouth.[100] They went down with the highest ever squad value and wage bill outside of the Premier League's traditional 'Big-Six' clubs, and the2022–23 season ended the club's nine-year stint in the Premier League.[101] This made Leicester only the second former Premier League champions to be relegated from the league since it began in1992–93, following Blackburn Rovers in1998–99.[102]
Leicester were promoted back to the Premier League in 2024.
On 16 June 2023,Enzo Maresca was appointed as the club's new manager ahead of the2023–24 EFL Championship season.[103] Leicester went on to make their best start to a league season, and the best start since the league became known as the Championship in2004–05.[104] They went on to gain promotion back to the Premier League as champions at the first attempt.[105] This was also Leicester's eighth second-tier title which is currently a record for the division.[106]
In March 2024, the club were referred to an independent commission by the Premier League over an alleged breach of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) for the 2022–23 season. On 3 September 2024, Leicester's appeal against the charges relating to the 2022–23 financial year was successful.[107] On 3 June 2024, Enzo Maresca left the club to join Chelsea ahead of the2024–25 Premier League season. Leicester appointedSteve Cooper as his replacement on 20 June 2024, but Cooper was sacked after five months in charge on 25 November 2024.[108][109][110] Five days later on 29 November 2024, Ruud van Nistelrooy was named as Leicester's new manager.[111]
On 20 April 2025, the club was relegated from the Premier League for the second time in three years, with five matches remaining in the season.[112] On 20 May 2025, Leicester were charged by the Premier League with three separate breaches of the English Football League's financial rules for the 2023–24 season, while the club was competing in the Championship. This followed an earlier suspected breach of Profit and Sustainability Rules relating to the 2022–23 season, while the club was competing in the Premier League.[113][114] On 27 June 2025, the club came to a mutual agreement with Ruud van Nistelrooy to terminate his contract with immediate effect.[115] On 15 July 2025, the club appointedMartí Cifuentes as manager on a three-year contract.[116]
On 2 October 2025, it was announced that Chief Executive OfficerSusan Whelan had stepped down from her role at the club after 15 years, following "a mutual decision" with chairmanAiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.[117]
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 their history. Since the2015–16 season, the club has played in an all-blue strip with the exception of the2019–20 and2021–22 seasons, where they reverted back to wearing white shorts. In 1948, an image of afox was first incorporated into the club's crest. 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.[118][119]
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 updated design was incorporated into the new stadium, with the emblem used as the main feature on the outside of the West Stand's glass frontage. The design of the club's badge has since evolved further, and the current crest has been in use since 2010.[120] For the2009–10 season, the club's 125th anniversary year, a special edition badge was worn on the home and away kits.[121] 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.[122][120] This kit returned once again for the2023–24 season, having also featured during the2004–05 season.[123]
In 1941, the club adopted the playing of the "Post Horn Galop" at home matches, to signal both teams entering the pitch.[124] 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.[125] 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.[126]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.[127] 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)[128] andPuma (2012–18).[129]
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,[137] 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.[137] 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.[137]
Some improvements by noted football architectArchibald Leitch occurred in the Edwardian era, and in 1927 a new two-tier stand was built,[137] 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.[138]
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.[139][140] The address of the current site, Filbert Way, retains a link with the club's former home ground. The first match hosted at the stadium was a 1–1 draw againstAthletic Bilbao, Bilbao'sTiko scored the first goal at the stadium andJordan Stewart became the first Leicester player to score.[141] The first competitive match was a 2–0 victory against Watford.[142]
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.[143] On 5 July 2011, it was announced that the Walkers Stadium would now be known as King Power Stadium.[144]
The stadium currently has a capacity of 32,259, with plans formally approved in December 2023 to extend this to 40,000.[145][146] 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.[147]
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.[126] Like many other clubs inEnglish football, Leicester have had links tohooliganism. In August 2000, Leicester were listed as the 2nd most violent football club inEngland and Wales.[154] Between 2019 and 2023, they averaged the 5th highest number of hooligans at matches.[155] During the2022–23 and2023–24 seasons, the club were ranked 3rd and 4th respectively for football banning orders.[156][157] In March 2025, a report revealed that in the past five seasons, Leicester were ranked within the top 15 clubs in the country for arrests.[158]
Leicester City's current manager isMartí Cifuentes, who was appointed on 15 July 2025.[116]
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.[159] 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."[160]
Historical league positions of Leicester City within the English Football League system.
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.[161] However,Adam Black holds the record for the most appearances in the league with 528 between 1920 and 1935.[162]
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.[163]
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.[164] 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,[165] ultimately finishing with 23 and thePremier League Golden Boot for the season.[166]
The record transfer fee paid by Leicester for a player was in the region of £32-to-40 million for midfielderYouri Tielemans fromAS Monaco.[167] 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,[168] the highest-ever move between two English teams,[169] and the highest-ever for a defender.[170]
Leicester's record home attendance is 47,298, for a fifth-roundFA Cup match againstTottenham Hotspur atFilbert Street in 1928.[171] The current record home attendance at the current stadium is 32,242, for aPremier League match againstSunderland on 8 August 2015.[172] 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.[173]
Leicester's highest ever 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.[106]
Leicester's longest unbeaten run in league football to date was between 1 November 2008 and 7 March 2009. The team remained unbeaten for 23 games on their way to theLeague One title.[174] 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 theChampionship.
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".[175] They recorded the most consecutive wins and fewest losses in any of the club's previousPremier League seasons, as well as the fewest away defeats in any previous top-flight season. The record for consecutive victories came against five clubs includingWatford,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.[165]
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.[176][177] 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.[178] In March 2017, the club became the 50th to reach theUEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
During the start of the2019–20 Premier League campaign, the club won 12 matches from their opening 16 fixtures, which was the most victories recorded at this stage of any previous league season.[179][180][181]
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.[182] As a result, Leicester City hold the all-time top tier records for the biggest defeat, biggest away win, and highest-scoring draw.
On 8 December 2019, a 1–4 away win at Aston Villa saw the club set a new record of eight consecutive victories in the top flight. This surpassed the record of five consecutive wins during the2015–16 Premier League title-winning campaign, and also overtook Leicester's previous all-time top flight record of seven consecutive victories achieved between December 1962 and March 1963.[180][183]
On 28 May 2023, the club was relegated from the Premier League with the highest ever squad value and player wages outside of the Premier League's traditional 'Big-Six' clubs.[101][100]
In the2023–24 EFL Championship season, the club made its best start to a league season to date, and the best in the competition's history (since becoming known as the Championship in 2004).[185] During this campaign, the club set a new record of six straight away league wins. They also 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.[186]
Since their election to theFootball League in 1894, Leicester City have spent all but one season within the top two tiers of English football. The club's longest stint at the top level to date came between 1957 and 1969. During these years, the club reached three FA Cup finals, participated in European football for the first time, and recorded their 3rd highest ever league finish. During the2008–09 season, Leicester played inLeague One, the third tier of English football, for the first time following the club's relegation fromthe Championship. 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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