Leicester City were founded in 1884 as Leicester Fosse F.C, playing on a field near Fosse Road.[2] They moved to Filbert Street in 1891, were elected to the Football League in 1894 and adopted the name Leicester City in 1919. They moved to the nearby Walkers Stadium in 2002, which was renamed as King Power Stadium in 2011.[3][4]
Leicester won the 2015–16 Premier League, becoming one of seven clubs to have won the Premier League since its inception in 1992. The title win was widely considered a 'footballing fairytale' and subsequently attracted global attention.[5][6] The club's previous highest ever league finish was second place in the top flight in 1928–29 (then known as the First Division). Leicester, twice winners of the FA Community Shield in 1971 and 2021, currently hold a joint record of seven second-tier titles.
The club have competed in the FA Cup final five times, winning their first title in 2021. They have also won the League Cup three times in 1964, 1997 and 2000.[7] The club have played in seven European competitions to date, notably reaching the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2016–17 and the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals in 2021–22.[8]
In 1919, when league football resumed after World 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 given city status. Following the name change, the club enjoyed moderate success in the 1920s; under the management of Peter Hodge, who left in May 1926 to be replaced two months later by Willie Orr, and with record goalscorer Arthur Chandler in the side,[12] they won the Division Two title in 1924–25[13] and recorded their second-highest league finish in 1928–29 as runners-up by a single point to The Wednesday.[9] However, the 1930s saw a downturn in fortunes, with the club relegated in 1934–35[14] and, after promotion in 1936–37,[15] another relegation in 1938–39 would see them finish the decade in Division Two.[2][16]
Historical league positions of Leicester City in the Football League
Post-World War II (1949–2000)
Leicester reached the FA Cup final for the first time in their history in 1949,[2][17] losing 3–1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers. The club, however, was celebrating a week later when a draw on the last day of the season ensured survival in Division Two.[18][19] Leicester won the Division Two championship in 1954,[20] with the help of Arthur Rowley, one of the club's most prolific strikers. Although they were relegated from Division One the next season, under Dave Halliday they returned in 1957,[21] with Rowley scoring a club record 44 goals in one season.[12] Leicester remained in Division One until 1969,[22] their longest period ever in the top flight.
Under the management of Matt Gillies and his assistant Bert Johnson, Leicester reached the FA Cup final on another two occasions, but lost in both 1961 and 1963.[2] As they lost to double winners Tottenham Hotspur in 1961, they were England's representatives in the 1961–62 European Cup Winners' Cup. In the 1962–63 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 beat Stoke City 4–3 on aggregate to win the League Cup for the first time.[2] Leicester also reached the League Cup final the following year but lost 3–2 on aggregate to Chelsea. Gillies and Johnson received praise for their version of the "whirl" and the "switch" system, a system that had previously been used by the Austrian and Hungarian national teams.[23] After a bad start to the season, Matt Gillies resigned in November 1968. His successor Frank O'Farrell was unable to prevent relegation, but the club reached the FA Cup final in 1969, losing to Manchester City 1–0.
In 1971, Leicester were promoted back to the First Division, and won the Charity Shield for the first time.[2] Due to double winners Arsenal's commitments in European competition, Second Division winners Leicester were invited to play FA Cup runners-up Liverpool, beating them 1–0[2] thanks to a goal by Steve Whitworth.[24]Jimmy Bloomfield was appointed for the new season, and his team remained in the First Division for his tenure. Leicester reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1973–74.[25]
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. City were relegated at the end of the 1977–78 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 in 1980.[26] 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 was Gordon 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 partner Alan Smith, who was sold to Arsenal after Leicester went down.
Milne left in 1986 and was replaced in 1987 by David Pleat, who was sacked in January 1991 with Leicester in danger of relegation to the Third 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.[2]
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 new Premier League, but lost to Blackburn Rovers by way of a penalty from former Leicester striker Mike Newell. The club also reached the playoff final the following year, losing 4–3 to Swindon Town, having come back from 3–0 down. In 1993–94 City were promoted from the playoffs, beating Derby County 2–1 in the final.[2] Little quit as Leicester manager the following November to take charge at Aston Villa, and his successor Mark 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 the First Division, to take charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers.[27] McGhee was replaced by Martin O'Neill.[2] Under O'Neill, Leicester qualified for the 1996 Football League play-offs and beat Crystal Palace 2–1 in the final through a 120th-minute Steve 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, in 1997 and 2000, and Leicester were runners-up in 1999. Thus, the club qualified for the UEFA Cup in 1997–98 and 2000–01, the club's first European competition since 1961. In June 2000, O'Neill left Leicester City to take over as manager of Celtic.
Decline in the early 21st century (2000–2008)
Martin O'Neill was replaced by former England under-21 coach Peter Taylor. During this time, one of Leicester's European appearances ended in a 3–1 defeat to Red Star Belgrade on 28 September 2000 in the UEFA Cup.[28] 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 the 2001–02 season, and his successor Dave Bassett lasted just six months before being succeeded by his assistant Micky 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-seat Walkers Stadium at the start of the 2002–03 season, ending 111 years at Filbert Street. Walkers, the Leicestershire-based crisp manufacturers, acquired the naming rights for a ten-year period.[29] 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 £37 million cost of the new stadium.[30] 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.[2] 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 labelled Championship, 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 manager Rob Kelly took over as caretaker 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.[2]
In October 2006, ex-Portsmouth chairman Milan 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.[31] On 11 April 2007, Rob Kelly was sacked as manager and Nigel 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 former Milton Keynes Dons manager Martin 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 announced Gary 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 by Bolton Wanderers. Mandarić placed Frank Burrows and Gerry 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, beating Bristol City 2–0.[32] However, this success did not last, and Leicester were relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2007–08 season. Holloway left by mutual consent after less than a season at the club, being replaced by Nigel Pearson.
Third tier to Premier League and new ownership (2008–2015)
The 2008–09 campaign was Leicester's first season outside the top two levels of English football, but they hit this nadir only seven years before becoming the 2015–16 Premier League champions – one of the fastest ever rises to the top of the English football league system.[33] Following relegation to the third tier the previous season, Leicester returned to the Championship at the first attempt in 2008–09, finishing as champions of League One after a 2–0 win at Southend United, with two matches in hand. The 2009–10 season saw Leicester's revival under manager Nigel Pearson continue, as the club finished fifth and reached the Championship play-offs in their first season back in the second tier. Though coming from 2–0 down on aggregate, away to Cardiff City, to briefly lead 3–2, they eventually lost to a penalty shoot-out in the play-off semi-final. At the end of the season, Pearson left Leicester to become the manager of Hull City, claiming he felt the club seemed reluctant to keep him, and that Paulo 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.[34]
In August 2010, following agreement on a three-year shirt sponsorship deal with duty-free retailers the King Power Group, Mandarić sold the club to Thai-led consortium Asian Football Investments (AFI), fronted by King Power Group's Vichai and his son Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.[35] Mandarić, an investor in AFI,[36] was retained as club chairman.[37] 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.[38] 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.[39][40] 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 over Sheffield Wednesday.[41]
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.[42] 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 to Watford after Manuel Almunia made a double save from an Anthony Knockaert late penalty and Troy Deeney scored at the other end following a swift counterattack.[43]
In 2014, Leicester's march up the league system hit a breakthrough. Their 2–1 home win over Sheffield Wednesday, combined with losses by Queens Park Rangers and Derby County, allowed Leicester City to clinch promotion to the Premier League after a ten-year absence. Later that month, a win at Bolton Wanderers saw Leicester become champions of the 2013–14 Championship. This was their seventh second tier title, which is currently a joint record.
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 against Everton.[44] The Foxes then claimed their first Premier League win since May 2004, with a 1–0 win at Stoke City.[45] On 21 September 2014, Leicester went on to produce one of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history, beating Manchester United 5–3 at King 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.[46]
During the 2014–15 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-ever escapes from relegation.[47][48] They also became only the third team in Premier League history to survive after being bottom at Christmas (the other two being West Bromwich Albion in 2005 and Sunderland in 2014), and no team with fewer than 20 points from 29 matches had previously stayed up.
The usual starting line-up of the Premier League winning team[49]
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 of public relations issues involving Pearson throughout the season, with the final straw involving his son James' role in a "racist sex tape" made by three Leicester reserve players in Thailand during a post-season goodwill tour.[50][51][52] Leicester reacted by appointing former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri as their new manager for the new 2015–16 Premier League season.[53] Despite an initially sceptical reaction to Ranieri's appointment, the club made an exceptional start to the season.[54] Striker Jamie Vardy scored 13 goals over 11 consecutive matches from August to November, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's Premier League record of scoring in 10 consecutive matches.[55] On 19 December, Leicester defeated Everton 3–2 at Goodison Park to top the Premier League on Christmas Day, having been bottom exactly 12 months earlier.[56] 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 the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.[57]
Leicester won the Premier League on 2 May 2016 after Tottenham lost a 2–0 lead against Chelsea, drawing 2–2 at the "Battle of Stamford Bridge".[58][59]Bookmakers thought Leicester's victory was so unlikely that Ladbrokes and William 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.[60][61][62] A number of newspapers described Leicester's title win as the greatest sporting shock ever; multiple bookmakers including Ladbrokes and William Hill had never paid out at such long odds for any sport.[63][64][65] As a result of the title win, the team was dubbed "The Unbelievables", a spin-off harking back to Arsenal's undefeated team "The Invincibles".[66] The scale of the surprise attracted global attention for the club and the city of Leicester.[67][6]The Economist declared it would be "pored over for management lessons".[68] Several commentators viewed it as an inspiration to other clubs and fundamentally transforming the expectations faced in English football.[69]
Leicester became known for their counterattacking style of play, "incredible pace in the areas it is most essential" and defensive solidarity.[70] Former boss Nigel Pearson was credited by pundits and fans as having laid the foundations for Leicester's title winning season.[71] Reacting to the title win, then 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.
Post Premier League title win (2016–2021)
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 awarded coach of the year and Leicester team of the year at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.[72] 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",[73] while then Manchester United manager José Mourinho blamed it on "selfish players".[73] 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.[74]Craig Shakespeare took over as caretaker manager, and in his first match in charge, Leicester won 3–1 against 5th placed Liverpool.[75] In his second match as caretaker, Shakespeare led Leicester to another 3–1 victory over Hull City.[76] Following those two results, it was decided on 12 March 2017 that Shakespeare would become manager until the end of the season.[77]
The 2016–17 campaign was also the first season in 15 years that Leicester qualified for European football. Leicester were placed in Group G of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League, alongside Porto, Copenhagen and Club Brugge. In their inaugural Champions League campaign, they went undefeated in their first five matches to progress to the knockout stages as group winners.[78]The Foxes then faced La Liga club Sevilla in the round of 16 and defeated the Spanish side 2–0 on the night, and 3–2 on aggregate to advance to the quarter-finals.[79] There they faced Atlético 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.[80] 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.[81] 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.
[82] He was replaced with former Southampton boss Claude Puel on 25 October 2017. By Christmas, Leicester were in 8th position in the Premier League and went on to finish one place lower in 9th at the end of the season. Despite rumours that Puel would leave, he remained at the club for the next season and performed well. However, the team suffered a poor run of games in 2019 which saw Leicester suffer 4 successive home defeats, and following a 4–1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, Puel was sacked on 24 February 2019 with the club in 12th place.[83] Two days later on 26 February 2019, former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was appointed as his replacement.[84] They finished the season again in ninth place.
The 2019–2020 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 a 0–9 away win at Southampton, the joint-largest win in Premier League history and the largest away win in English top-flight history.[85] In the same season, the club reached the semi-final stage of the League Cup but lost out to Aston Villa over two legs.[86] 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 the coronavirus pandemic. Three defeats in their last four matches saw them slide into fifth, the second-highest Premier League finish in their history. This secured Leicester a place in the UEFA Europa League for the following season.[87] After finishing 5th again in the 2020–21 Premier League, Leicester qualified for the UEFA Europa League for the second consecutive year.
FA Cup winners and Europa League (2021–2023)
On 15 May 2021, Leicester won their first ever FA Cup having lost all four previous finals, in the process securing a second major trophy in five years. Leicester won 1–0 against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, in front of a reduced crowd due to the Coronavirus pandemic.[88] Four months later at Wembley on 7 August 2021, Leicester won the FA Community Shield for the second time in their history.[89]
In their 2021–22 UEFA Europa League campaign, Leicester were drawn against Napoli, Spartak Moscow and Legia Warsaw in Group C of the competition. They finished third and were transferred to the newly established UEFA Europa Conference League. Leicester went on to reach their first ever European semi-final in this competition against A.S. Roma, but were knocked out losing 2–1 on aggregate to the eventual winners.
During the 2022–23 Premier League season, manager Brendan Rodgers left Leicester by mutual consent with ten games left to play and the club in the relegation zone.[90]Dean Smith was appointed as manager on 10 April 2023 until the end of the season.[91]
On May 28, 2023, despite a 2–1 win against West Ham United, Leicester City were relegated after Everton won 1–0 against AFC Bournemouth due to a goal from Mali midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré. The club became only the second Premier League champions to be relegated from the Premier League since the league began in 1992–93. [92]
On 27 October 2018, chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's helicopter malfunctioned and crashed outside King Power Stadium, shortly after taking off from the pitch, following a home game against West Ham United F.C. Five people were on board the helicopter; none survived. Following the crash, the club announced plans for a permanent memorial in the form of a statue. This was unveiled on 4 April 2022, which would have been Vichai's 64th birthday, and is located on the corner of Filbert Way and Raw Dykes Road.[93][94][95]
Leicester City's first home colours worn from 1884 to 1886.
This City shirt, worn in 1948, was their first to bear a club 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.
"The Foxes" is the most common nickname for the club, and an image of a fox was first incorporated into the club crest in 1948. Since 1992, the club's badge has featured a fox's head overlaid onto a Cinquefoil; the Cinquefoil is similar to the one used on the coat of arms of Leicester.[96][97]
Leicester City's badge for the 2009–10 season to commemorate 125 years as a football club
The club's move to their new stadium in 2002 prompted some changes to the crest, and the design has since evolved further.[98] For the 2009–10 season, the club's 125th anniversary year, a special edition crest was worn on the home and away kits.[99] For this season only, there was also a return to the initial away shirt of Leicester Fosse for the away kit, albeit with black shorts as opposed to the original white.[100][101]
In 1941, the club adopted the playing of the Post Horn Galop at home games.[102] Currently, for the first half of matches the tune is usually played live on the pitch, while a modern version of the tune is played over the PA system for the second half.[103]Foxes Never Quit is the club's motto, with these words placed above the tunnel inside the stadium.
Since 2018, Leicester City's kit has been manufactured by German sportswear company Adidas.[105] Previous manufacturers have included Bukta (1962–64, 1990–92), Admiral (1976–79, 1983–88), Umbro (1979–83), Scoreline (1988–90), Fox Leisure (1992–2000), Le Coq Sportif (2000–05), JJB (2005–07), Jako (2007–09), Joma (2009–10), Burrda (2010–12),[106] and Puma (2012–18).[107]
In their early years, Leicester played at numerous grounds, but have only played at two since they joined the Football League. When first starting out, they played on a field by Fosse Road,[112] hence the original club name Leicester Fosse. They moved from there to Victoria Park, and subsequently to Belgrave Road. Upon turning professional the club moved to Mill Lane.[112] After eviction from Mill Lane the club played at the County Cricket ground while seeking a new ground. The club secured the use of an area of land by Filbert Street and moved there in 1891.[112]
Some improvements by noted football architect Archibald Leitch occurred in the Edwardian era, and in 1927 a new two-tier stand was built,[112] 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 manager Martin O'Neill to joke that he used to "lead new signings out backwards" so they only saw the Carling Stand.[113]
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.[114] The site, located less than a mile away from the club's old home, was originally named the Walkers Stadium in a deal with food manufacturers Walkers and retained this name until 2011.[115] The first match hosted at the stadium was a 1–1 friendly draw against Athletic Bilbao, with Bilbao's Tiko being the first scorer at the stadium and Jordan Stewart being the first Leicester player to score.[116] The first competitive match was a 2–0 victory against Watford.[117] The stadium has since gone on to host England international matches, as well as the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
On 19 August 2010, it emerged that the new owners King Power wanted to rename the stadium King Power Stadium, and had plans to increase the capacity to 42,000 should Leicester secure promotion.[118] On 5 July 2011, Leicester City confirmed the Walkers Stadium would now be known as King Power Stadium.[119] In 2020, the club moved into a new state-of-the-art training complex in the Leicestershire village of Seagrave, described as having "some of the very best facilities in the world". The club's former training ground Belvoir Drive now serves as the training ground for Leicester City Women.[120]
Nottingham Forest are considered to be Leicester City's main rivals, while in North West Leicestershire Derby County are considered to be primary rivals. Leicester additionally share a rivalry with Coventry City, in what is commonly known as the M69 derby, named after the M69 motorway which connects the two cities.[121] Leicester were widely considered to be Forest's main rivals prior to the mid-1970s. However, when Brian Clough was appointed as Forest manager in 1975, much to the dismay of Derby fans, the rivalry between Forest and Derby quickly intensified. Clough's rapid success at Forest, winning the 1977–78First Division, followed by back-to-back European Cup wins in 1979 and 1980 only fuelled the rivalry further. As a result, both Forest and Derby fans now consider each other to be their fiercest rivals.
Leicester City's current manager is Dean Smith after Brendan Rodgers departed the club on 2 April 2023.[123]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 manager.[124] Up until Peter Hodge was hired after World 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 and tactics. Though Hodge was originally also titled "secretary/manager" he has retrospectively been named as the club's first official "manager."[125]
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.[126] However, Adam Black holds the record for the most appearances in the league with 528 between 1920 and 1935.[127]
Striker Arthur 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.[9] The most goals managed in a single season for the club is 44 by Arthur Rowley, in the 1956–57 season.[9] The fastest goal in the club's history was scored by Matty Fryatt, when he netted after just nine seconds against Preston North End in April 2006.[128]
Jamie Vardy broke the Premier League record for scoring 13 goals in 11 consecutive league games, in the 2015–16 Premier League season. Vardy is also the ninth player to score 20 top-flight goals in a season, following Arthur Chandler, Ernie Hine, Arthur Rowley, Jimmy Walsh, Ken Keyworth, Jackie Sinclair, Frank Worthington and Gary Lineker. Vardy's goal at Sunderland on 10 April 2016 saw him become the first 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.[129]
The record transfer fee paid by Leicester for a player was in the region of £32-to-40 million for midfielder Youri Tielemans from AS Monaco.[130] The highest transfer fee received for a Leicester player was approximately £80 million from Manchester United for Harry Maguire; at the time of the transfer this was the eleventh-highest-ever fee, the highest-ever move between two English teams, and the highest-ever for a defender.[131][citation needed]
The club's record home attendance is 47,298, for a fifth-round FA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur at Filbert Street in 1928. The current record home attendance at King Power Stadium is 32,242, for a Premier League match against Sunderland on 8 August 2015.[132] The highest-ever attendance for a non-competitive football match at King Power Stadium stands at 32,188, for a pre-season friendly against Real Madrid on 30 July 2011.[133]
Leicester's highest-ever league finish is first in the Premier League in 2015–16. Their lowest-ever league finish was first in League One in 2008–09. Leicester are joint equal with Manchester City for having won the most English second-tier titles (7). The club have reached five FA Cup finals, winning once in 2021.
Leicester's longest-ever 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 the League One title.[134] 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 the EFL Championship.
In the 2015–16 season, Leicester achieved many new club records in what The Daily Telegraph described as "one of the most astonishing league titles of all-time".[135] They recorded the fewest losses in any of the club's previous Premier League seasons, the fewest away defeats in any top-flight season, and the most consecutive wins in the top flight. Those consecutive victories came against Watford, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Southampton and Sunderland. 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 the Premier League all season.[129]
Leicester made their UEFA Champions League debut in the 2016–17 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.[136][137] 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.[138] In March 2017, the club became the 50th to reach the UEFA 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 Southampton 9–0 at St Mary's Stadium. In doing so they also tied the record for the highest margin of victory in Premier League history, equalling Manchester United's 9–0 home victory over Ipswich Town in 1995.[139] As a result, Leicester City hold the all-time top tier records for the biggest defeat, biggest away win, and highest-scoring draw.
Since its election to the Football League in 1894, Leicester City have spent much of their history within the top two tiers of English football. The club has played outside the top two tiers only once in their history to date; during the 2008–09 season they played in League One, the third tier of English football, after the club's relegation from the Championship in the previous season. However, the club made a swift return to the second tier, being promoted as League One champions in the 2008–09 season. They have never played lower than England's third tier.
The Football League 100 Legends is a list of "100 legendary football players" produced by The Football League in 1998, to celebrate the 100th season of League football.[152] It also included Premier League players, and the following former Leicester City players were included:
The following players have been selected by their country in the World Cup Finals, while playing for Leicester. Players listed in bold are current Leicester City players.
The following players have been selected by their country in various continental tournaments, while playing for Leicester. Players listed in bold are current Leicester City players.
The following players have been selected by their country while playing for Leicester City (including players both on loan at, and away from the club). The number of caps won whilst at the club are given, along with the date of the first cap being won while with Leicester City. Players listed in bold are current Leicester City players.
Ballon d'Or nominees
The following players have been nominated for the Ballon d'Or while playing for Leicester, the award is also referred to as the World or European footballer of the year.
English Golden Boot
The following players have won the English Golden Boot for being the country's top goalscorer, while at Leicester (note: This applies only to players playing in the top tier of English football):
English Second Division Golden Boot
The following players have won the golden boot for being the top goalscorer in the second tier of English football while at Leicester:[161]
Football League Awards Player of the Year
The following players have been named the best player in their division in the Football League Awards while at Leicester:
