Leicester close to third tier after points deduction appeal dismissed

Leicester's appeal against a six-point deduction for breaching financial rules was rejected on Wednesday, plunging the Foxes ever closer to relegation to English football's third tier.

Just a decade on from their stunning Premier League title triumph, Leicester sit third from bottom of the Championship, one point adrift of safety with just five games to go.

"With the matter now at an end and five games of the season remaining, everyone at the club is fully focused on the matches in front of us and on shaping the outcome of our season through our results on the pitch," Leicester said in a statement.

"The responsibility now is to ensure these remaining games are approached with the focus and intent our current situation demands."

Relegated from the Premier League last season, Leicester are now at serious risk of dropping into League One after a run of just one win in 12 games in all competitions.

An independent commission found in February that the club had breached profit and sustainability rules for the three-year period up to the 2023/24 season, when they won promotion from the Championship, by nearly £21 million ($29 million).

In the three seasons from 2021/22 to 2023/24, the club posted losses of over £200 million.

"An independent commission's decision to recommend a six-point deduction on Leicester City Football Club this season has been upheld by an independent appeal board," the Premier League said in a statement.

In the 2015/16 season, Leicester shocked the football world to win the Premier League despite starting the campaign as 5,000-1 outsiders.

They also won the FA Cup for the first time in 2021 but were relegated in 2023.

They bounced straight back to the top flight under Enzo Maresca but were relegated again last season with just six wins in 38 games.