Leicester City is in danger of being relegated to the third division. The surprise English champions of 2016 will have six points deducted for violating profit and sustainability rules.
Leicester City is facing an increasingly acute threat of relegation. The Foxes, who have only managed to secure 38 points in 30 Championship games so far after being relegated from the Premier League, have slipped to 21st place in the English second division following a decision on Thursday afternoon. As announced by the English Football League (EFL) in a statement, six points will be deducted from the surprise champions of 2016 with immediate effect. Only a better goal difference currently separates the club, which has picked up just one point from its last four games, from the first relegation spot and West Brom.
The reason for the measure is violations of the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) that the club broke over a three-year period until the end of the 2023/24 season, which an independent commission had been investigating since May 2025. According to a statement from the Premier League, the club exceeded the threshold by £20.8 million (approximately €24 million) during that period.
“The EFL Board convened to review the decision and resolved that the sanction should be applied to the Championship table with immediate effect,” the EFL said. The Premier League had called for a 12-point deduction, while Leicester initially argued that a fine was the most appropriate sanction.
Leicester considers options
“Leicester City notes the decision of the independent commission with disappointment and will use the time available to consider its next steps,” said a statement from the Foxes, who question the proportionality of the penalty: “While the commission has significantly reduced the unprecedented sanction originally sought by the Premier League, the recommendation remains disproportionate and does not adequately take into account the mitigating circumstances presented, the significance of which cannot be overstated given the potential impact on our sporting ambitions this season.”
Leicester is “currently reviewing the decision in full” and considering “the options available to us. We remain committed to cooperating constructively and ensuring that all measures are fair, proportionate, and determined through appropriate procedures.”
Bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Wednesday have already had 18 points deducted
The measure against Leicester is not the only one taken in the current Championship season. Current bottom club Sheffield Wednesday has already had a total of 18 points deducted due to insolvency proceedings and breaches of EFL payment obligations, leaving the club languishing at the bottom of the table with -7 points (!).
