Rowett Focused on Foxes' Safety, Not Relegation Costs
Leicester City manager Gary Rowett has emphasized that he will not allow the potential financial consequences of relegation to distract him from his primary objective of keeping the Foxes in the Championship.
The East Midlands club currently sits second from bottom in the Championship with eight games remaining, as they strive to avoid a second consecutive relegation.
Dropping from the Premier League to League One within a year would have significant financial repercussions. Broadcasting and central commercial revenues would decline by approximately £115 million from the £116.9 million earned during their 2024-25 Premier League season. Additionally, matchday income would suffer considerably, as the club would no longer host some of the world’s most renowned teams in the top tier, but instead face lesser-known opponents in the third division.
Although a final parachute payment of around £40 million from the Premier League would mitigate the financial impact, Leicester would face relegation with one of the Championship’s highest wage bills and several top earners still under contract.
In an interview with BBC East Midlands Today, Rowett reflected on his first month in charge and addressed the challenges of his rescue mission, including the financial implications tied to Leicester’s league position.
"I probably don't try to think about that side of it too much, because that then starts to maybe affect your decision-making and maybe be swayed into certain decisions around that," Rowett said.
"You can look at the implications externally around not achieving your target, but I think for me it's just about doing what we need to do.
"Winning a game of football is no different whether you're seventh in the league trying to get in the play-offs, or whether you're 19th in the league trying to stay in a division.
"To me it's the same process. There might be a slightly different way of going about it mentally and psychologically, but it's the same. And I'll always try to simplify the game in that manner rather than think about the bigger picture really."
Leicester Appeal Against Six-Point Deduction
Leicester’s financial situation has been under scrutiny for several years, with multiple legal disputes regarding the club’s spending. Despite previous resolutions, the club has been penalized with a six-point deduction this season for breaching profit and sustainability rules during their promotion-winning 2023-24 Championship campaign. The club is currently appealing this sanction.
Leicester’s financial accounts for the year ending 30 June 2024 revealed a loss of £19.4 million, an improvement from the £89.7 million loss reported the previous year.
Owner Khun Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanaprabha, whose King Power duty-free business in Thailand has faced challenges in recent years, told BBC Radio Leicester that he expects the club to adhere to spending regulations going forward.
If relegated to League One, Leicester would become the fourth club in 15 years to suffer consecutive relegations from the Premier League, joining Wolverhampton Wanderers (2011-12, 2012-13), Sunderland (2016-17, 2017-18), and Luton Town (2023-24, 2024-25).
Former Sunderland director Charlie Methven recently discussed on the Business of Sport podcast the severe financial strain that dropping to League One imposed on the Black Cats and highlighted the potential financial disaster Leicester could face under similar circumstances.
'I Wanted the 14-Game Challenge'
Gary Rowett was appointed Leicester City manager until the end of the season, tasked with steering the club away from relegation.
Having previously rescued struggling teams such as Oxford United, Millwall, and Birmingham City, Rowett has overseen one win, three draws, and two defeats in his six games in charge.
The 2-0 victory against Bristol City in March ended a 10-game winless streak and marked Leicester’s first clean sheet in 31 Championship matches. Despite this, the results have not significantly improved their relegation prospects.
The 52-year-old manager revealed he declined longer-term job offers elsewhere to accept the challenge at Leicester, a club he represented as a player in the Premier League over 20 years ago.
"This was a job that I really liked the challenge of trying to achieve what we need to achieve in 14 games," he said.
"I want to keep the team in division, but most importantly I want everyone to feel proud - the team, the fans - about the club. And if I can achieve that and walk away then I'll be a happy man."
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