Worrying off-field Leicester City update emerges after EFL return confirmed | OneFootball

Could the Foxes be hit with punishments very quickly after their drop from the Premier League became official?

The EFL are likely set to issue sanctions to Leicester City ahead of the 2025-26 season after their relegation from the Premier League was confirmed this past weekend.

The Foxes have gone down with a whimper, in what has been a season of chaos and manager changes at the King Power Stadium - and the end of their suffering may still not be in sight.

City avoided any action being taken by the Premier League after they exploited a loophole in the financial regulations, with the decision coming just after the summer transfer window ended in September 2024, but they may not get the same treatment from the EFL.

Leicester City reportedly likely to face EFL action after relegation back to the Championship

According to a report from The Athletic, the EFL are "likely" to be looking at hitting Leicester with sanctions ahead of the 2025-26 season, which is based on the alleged breach of profit & sustainability rules that they won their legal battle on last year.

Alleged to have lost over £105 million over a three-year period, ending on June 30, 2023, the Foxes won their battle to not have points deducted. However, crucially that result is still going through an arbitration process, meaning that they are still vulnerable going forward - especially as they are now set to leave the Premier League once more.

The EFL could now be set to take their own view and put a punishment in place on the East Midlands outfit, especially after they attempted to restrict the club's player trading in the form of a business plan during their league-winning 2023-24 campaign.

Leicester City may face a struggle to get back to the Premier League at first time of asking if EFL have their way

As stated, the last time Leicester were in the Championship, the EFL didn't take too kindly to their breach of the financial regulations, although they weren't able to get their punishments in place when it was all said and done.

With the results of the legal battle still in arbitration though, there's still a chance that the EFL may have their way with the Foxes though as they prepare to return to the second tier of English football.

Currently, City are likely to have one of, if not the biggest budget in the Championship as of 2025-26, and should punishment from the EFL follow, then you'd expect some high earners to be heading out of the King Power Stadium exit door.