 M69 derby at theRicoh Arena on 23 February 2008, which Coventry won 2–0. | |
| Location | Coventry/Leicester (England) |
|---|---|
| Teams | Coventry City Leicester City |
| First meeting | Leicester City 1–0 Coventry City 1919–20 Second Division (27 September 1919)[1] |
| Latest meeting | Leicester City 0–0 Coventry City 2025–26 EFL Championship (20 September 2025) |
| Next meeting | Coventry City v Leicester City 2025–26 EFL Championship (17 January 2026) |
| Stadiums | Coventry Building Society Arena (Coventry City) King Power Stadium (Leicester City) |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 89 |
| Most wins | Leicester City (38) |
| All-time series | Leicester City: 38 Draw: 24 Coventry City: 26 |
| Largest victory | Coventry City 1–8Leicester City 1964–65 Football League Cup (1 December 1964)[1] |
  Coventry City  Leicester City | |
TheM69 derby is a football match played betweenCoventry City andLeicester City. It takes its name fromthe motorway that connects the two cities, which are only 24 miles (38 km) apart.
Coventry and Leicester's traditional rivals have historically been considered to beAston Villa andNottingham Forest respectively. However, the fixture became increasingly significant between 2001 and 2011 with both clubs' traditional rivals often being in a different league. According to a survey by The Football Pools published in 2008, this fixture is the 26th fiercest rivalry in English football.[2]
The rivalry declined during the 2010’s as Leicester experienced their most successful period at the top level ofEnglish football, while Coventry struggled financially and spent time in both League One and League Two. Coventry have since risen back up theEnglish football league system, and in 2023, Leicester lost theirPremier League status after nine years in the division.
The M69 derby made its return during the2023–24 season after an eleven year hiatus. Leicester won the opening day fixture 2–1 at home, while Coventry won the reverse fixture 3–1. The most recent meeting between the two clubs was a 0–0 draw on 20 September 2025.[3]
The fixture between the two clubs has historically been marred by incidents of violence. In September 1984, a pitch invasion took place two minutes into aFirst Division game atHighfield Road. In October 2004, trouble broke out in Coventry with police officers pelted with missiles.[4] In February 2008, up to 100 hooligans were involved in a brawl on a street nearby to theCoventry Building Society Arena.[5] On 3 March 2012, supporters of both clubs clashed on a street in Leicester, with windows on a mini-bus allegedly smashed. During the2023–24 season, offensive banners were displayed on theM69 motorway ahead of both fixtures.[6]
The first fixture between the two clubs was a Second Division game on 27 September 1919 which resulted in a 1–0 win for Leicester. The biggest victory resulted in an 8–1 Leicester victory in theLeague Cup atHighfield Road on 4 December 1964.[1]
Coventry have been heavily beaten on two other occasions atFilbert Street, with both matches ending in a 5–1 win for Leicester. The first was in1924–25, whenArthur Chandler scored a hat-trick, and in1984–85, whenGary Lineker scored a brace.[1]
Since moving to their current stadium in 2002, Leicester have never been defeated by Coventry. Coventry held the same record at theCoventry Building Society Arena from 2005 to 2011. Coventry were in the Premier League when they last won at Leicester on 7 April 2001.[7]
| Coventry wins | Draws | Leicester wins | |
|---|---|---|---|
| League | 24 | 23 | 37 |
| FA Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| League Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 26 | 24 | 38 |
The most recent fixture resulted in a 0–0 draw at theKing Power Stadium on 20 September 2025.