Leicester City, a club that once defied all odds to clinch the Premier League title a decade ago, now finds itself in the depths of League One, facing an ignominious relegation.

The celebratory atmosphere that marked their 5000-1 triumph in 2016 has been replaced by boos, angry chants, and calls for owners to "get out of our club."

On the 10th anniversary of their unparalleled success, there was no Andrea Bocelli, only bitterness and the sight of owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha shrugging amidst cries to "sack the board."

Manager Gary Rowett, who took over in February, emphasized that relegation is the result of a season-long struggle, not just a few games.

He urged the club to accept this "horrible part of the journey" and learn from its mistakes.

Former Foxes winger Matt Piper echoed this sentiment, calling it the "worst" moment in the club's history, citing a lack of leadership as a primary concern.

The brutal reality of football was starkly evident at a sparsely populated King Power Stadium as a 2-2 draw with Hull City sealed their fate.

Leicester now shares the unwanted distinction of back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One with Swindon Town, Southampton, Sunderland, and Luton Town, with only Blackburn Rovers having also experienced being former Premier League winners in the third tier.

The club's fixture list next season will include matches against teams like Bromley, a club in the fifth-tier National League when Leicester won the Premier League, and local derbies against Mansfield Town and Burton Albion, a stark and cold new reality for the Foxes.

The incredible 2016 title win was built on smart recruitment, securing players like N'Golo Kante (£5.6 million), Jamie Vardy (£1 million), and Riyad Mahrez (£400,000) who became legends.

The club's model appeared sound, generating significant transfer fees when Kante and Mahrez moved on.

However, cracks began to emerge following the tragic death of owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in 2018, and were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

King Power, the Thailand-based duty-free retail company that owns the club, saw its revenue decimated, limiting its financial backing for Leicester.

This led to mistakes in player recruitment and a steady increase in losses, culminating in their 2023 relegation from the Premier League.

Despite Enzo Maresca guiding them to an immediate return to the top tier from the Championship, cumulative losses of £201 million between 2022 and 2024 led to a breach of Premier League financial regulations.

The EFL then imposed a six-point deduction in February, a hammer blow to their survival hopes.

However, having won just two and lost 10 of their 19 league games in 2026, the points sanction was not the sole or primary reason for their relegation.

Fan discontent has been palpable, with prolonged campaigns against the ownership and chief football officer Jon Rudkin.

In recent weeks, the blame has shifted towards the players. Following a defeat at Portsmouth, fans chanted "you're not fit to wear the shirt," and midfielder Harry Winks had an angry confrontation with supporters.

Winks, a £10 million signing, was booed both when warming up and when he came on as a substitute against Hull, with Oli McBurnie scoring two minutes later to make it 2-2.

Despite a late surge, the team's efforts were futile, confirming relegation with two games remaining.

The stadium walls still feature images of title heroes like Vardy, Mahrez, Kante, and Kasper Schmeichel, serving as poignant reminders of a glorious past.

Owner Srivaddhanaprabha recently wiped out £124 million of the club's debt and has vowed to rebuild.

However, he faces a significant challenge to win back the support of the fans, who protested outside the ground after the game with chants of "We want our club back" and "King Power, get out of our club." The days of singing "we are the champions" seem a distant memory.