Championship club Leicester City sacks manager Hiffontes

2026-01-26 02:32

English Championship club Leicester City have officially announced the dismissal of first-team manager Martí Cifuentes, effective immediately.

The Spanish manager's tenure at the King Power Stadium lasted only a little over six months, making him the seventh permanent manager to manage the former Premier League champions in the past two and a half years.

The immediate trigger for Hirfentes' sacking was the team's 1-2 home defeat to Oxford United last Saturday. This loss marked Leicester City's 11th defeat in the Championship this season. Currently, Leicester City sits in 14th place with only 34 points, six points away from the promotion play-off zone.

Leicester City chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said in an official statement that it was a difficult and well-considered decision.

Srivatanabrapa said: "I want to thank Mati for his dedication and professionalism during his tenure. However, in order to improve the team's performance and results, and in the best interests of the club, I believe that changes must now be made."

The club also announced that first-team coach Andy King will temporarily take over the team's training and preparation work until a new permanent head coach is selected.

Sir Alex Fernández took over as manager in July 2025 from Ruud van Nistelrooy, with high hopes that he could lead the team back to the Premier League. However, Leicester City's rebuilding journey has been fraught with difficulties. Since being relegated from the Premier League in 2023, the team has consistently failed to mount an effective promotion push.

Image source: Internet/BBC