Foxes defender Coulibaly makes Mali debutpublished at 11:48 6 June
11:48 6 June
Image source, Getty Images
Leicester City defender Woyo Coulibaly made his international debut for Mali during their 1-0 friendly defeat by DR Congo on Thursday.
French-born full-back Coulibaly, 26, - signed by the Foxes from Parma for a reported £3m in January - was called up for the African nation for the first time in May, having switched nationalities from .
There was also a first for Hamza Choudhury, who scored his maiden goal for Bangladesh during their 2-0 victory over Bhutan on Wednesday.
The Foxes academy graduate, 27, nodded in opener in the sixth minute on just his second appearance for the Bengal Tigers.
🎧 Foxes in limbopublished at 10:08 6 June
10:08 6 June
Media caption,
Leicester's Transfer Window: Part 2
"I can't imagine it's a situation that leaves a manager brimming with confidence that he's a man to lead the side forward or, in fact, the man the club want around.
"There is a growing possibility that the longer this goes on that Ruud van Nistelrooy will be the man to lead Leicester City into the Championship."
The When You're Smiling podcast team talk to journalists and fans about what Leicester City need to do in the transfer window - and whether shopping for a new manager is on the list.
Van Nistelrooy situation 'baffling' - Fryattpublished at 13:08 5 June
13:08 5 June
Image source, Getty Images
Leicester City's failure to clarify the future of manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has become increasingly "baffling", according to former Foxes striker Matty Fryatt.
The East Midlands club had relegation from the Premiers League confirmed on 20 April and the campaign came to an end nearly two weeks ago.
In just three weeks, Leicester will learn their schedule for the 2025-26 campaign when Championship fixtures are released. A week later and the squad is expected to assemble for preseason training.
"What is it, six weeks since relegation was confirmed and still they are no further along?
"Everyone needs some clarity, the ers and football club as a whole, because time is ticking."
Fryatt, however, does see that financial pressures and the timing of a possible sacking could be behind any delays.
Leicester have faced a number of profit and sustainability charges in recent years, with the latest – relating to an alleged breach of EFL financial rules for the 2023-24 season, when they were last in the second tier – coming in May.
"My only assumption would be that it's because of the financial implications that Ruud is still in charge," Fryatt said.
"Because if he was going to be the manager for next season, you would have thought you would have heard from the club, but there has been nothing, absolutely zero communication, which is baffling to me."
What if... the season was about what happens when you are winning?published at 10:02 5 June
10:02 5 June
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...
It is the table no-one wants to be top of.
While some fans will feel pretty comfortable when their team goes in front, for others, it is just the start of what could prove to be an emotional rollercoaster.
The fans who had to suffer the disappointment of wondering 'what might have been' most were those of Tottenham.
If the Premier League season had come down to which side lost the most points from winning positions then Spurs would have been top of the pile.
There were 22 occasions in which Ange Postecoglou's team were in front, but they went on to win only half of those, with four ending in draws and seven in defeat.
While 'Ange-ball' provides entertainment, as shown in the Europa League final, if the Spurs boss had adapted on a few more occasions, they might have found themselves celebrating a more successful league campaign than one that left them a place above the relegation zone.
For Fulham fans, it was hard to know whether they were coming or going.
While they were one of the 'comeback kings' having picked up 21 points from losing positions, they also dropped 28 points from winning ones.
Rather than consistent inconsistency, boss Marco Silva will be hoping for less of a rollercoaster next campaign if they want to achieve their European dream.
There were not a lot occasions in which relegated Southampton and Ipswich were in front, but when they were, they struggled to see them through. The 28 and 27 points lost respectively could have been the difference-makers in the fight to stay up.
At the other end of the scale, Newcastle ers could often sit comfortably in the knowledge that when they went in front, they were unlikely to see any other result at the end.
In fact, of the 23 games in which they were in a winning position, they drew twice and lost just once - a confidence they will hope to take into the Champions League next season too.
Much was said of Chelsea's questionable defensive abilities and the maturity of such a young side. But despite this, they too were a team regularly able to see out a game they were leading - winning 20 of the 26 such occasions.
Two perhaps more surprising additions at this end of the table are relegated Leicester City and a Manchester United side who set unwanted club records for the season.
While there were not many occasions when the two sides were in a leading position - 10 for Leicester and 16 for United - between them they lost just three times and dropped only 10 and 11 points restrictively.
Some solace for ers in otherwise underwhelming campaigns.
*Table data from Football365
'Communication will help to break down barriers as skeletons lurk'published at 12:12 3 June
12:12 3 June
Kate Blakemore Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
There has been much talk this season, and the past few seasons, about changes needed at Leicester City. Many skeletons seem to be lurking in the Foxes' closet and, one by one, they are slowly being discovered, providing setback after setback in our quest to restabilise the club.
While I am never expectant of full disclosure of what has been going on behind the scenes, I do expect to have some sort of communication from the club about various significant events.
Those include: the relegation to the Championship for the second time in three seasons; the departure of Jamie Vardy; the Ruud Van Nistelrooy-shaped elephant in the room; the financial constraints the club faces under PSR and what that means for future transfer windows.
Like I said, this does not mean full disclosure, but it does mean an acknowledgement the club is aware of issues and concerns of fans - and maybe even an acceptance of mistakes made, or a collective responsibility.
Up until now, a lot of blame has been placed at the door of John Rudkin, our director of football. But is this misplaced or misguided? Is the club accepting of one scapegoat?
A little communication could go a long way to help placate the frustration of fans.
It can be done. Plymouth Argyle's chairman has just issued a statement to fans - not with solutions, just with information and asking for patience. Open and honest - there is truth in that always being the best policy.
er engagement should not be conditional - it should be par for the course of running a football club, where good PR and fan sentiment are strongly correlated.
Communication will help to break down the barriers of 'us' and 'them' and pave the way to a united club and fanbase as we head into yet another unpredictable season both on and off the pitch.
I do fear it may be business as usual, though, and the silence coming out of the club will be as deafening as some of the boos on matchday.
What if... the season started in January?published at 11:32 30 May
11:32 30 May
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...
A Premier League season can sometimes be a tale of two halves.
Some come flying out of the blocks, while others are more sluggish starters.
The busy Christmas period can be a turning point with the arrival of the January transfer window feeling like a fresh start.
So what might have happened if the league season only start on 1 January?
Well, Pep Guardiola's title-winning machines would have picked up their fifth Premier League trophy in a row.
Playing one game fewer than actual champions Liverpool - who secured the title with four games remaining - they would have finished one point clear of the Reds, not withstanding Arne Slot's side slowdown in form after sealing the title.
City always seem to come good after January, but this time it was not enough to outweigh the torrid time they had from late autumn.
The rest of the top six is not too dissimilar to the final placings, although in this case, Aston Villa would have secured Champions League football and Brighton a Europa League spot in the absence of Chelsea - whose form nose-dived at the very beginning of the year.
And while the new year is a new start for some, it is less so for others.
That was the case for many of those down the bottom of the league.
The relegated trio would still have been relegated and Manchester United and Tottenham would still have ended up in the bottom six. West Ham find themselves one place lower after Wolves picked up form under Vitor Pereira.
So what does this tell us? If you wan to achieve your Premier League ambitions, it is about making sure you are there for nine months and not just from January.
*Table data from Football365
'Leicester need to make a decision quickly'published at 10:43 30 May
10:43 30 May
Image source, Getty Images
Former Leicester City midfielder Dean Hammond says decisions on the Foxes' future need to be made quickly to provide clarity for fans.
Hammond told BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast: "The hardest thing in football is to make decisions, and I think the quicker you can make them, the better, because it gives everyone a bit of clarity and a bit of understanding and puts everyone at ease because they know what's happening and what's expected.
"Who's going to lead the team next season would be the biggest decision for me, because until it's decided whether Ruud van Nistelrooy stays or a new manager comes in, then I'm not sure how you plan.
"It's so important to have that person in place to start putting forward the direction of the football club for next season.
"The more time you get with the players you're going to work with for the majority of the season, the better time you're going to have to implement your playing style.
"You need to get to know players. You need to build relationship with players. New players need to come in and settle. They need to understand how they're going to play and what is expected.
"Leicester City does not feel like a stable club in this moment, and I wonder, with that in mind, how important this summer overall really is for Leicester City, not just for now and for next season, but for what the club want to achieve in the next maybe five to 10 years."
A season to forget for Leicester as they look for a new era published at 15:35 29 May
15:35 29 May
Nick Mashiter BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Jamie Vardy scored 200 goals in 500 games for Leicester and will leave this summer
The season will hardly be ed fondly.
Relegation, a record-equalling run of defeats, division between the fans and the club, a change of manager, the departure of a legend and a season-ending profit and sustainability charge.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy replaced Steve Cooper in November and the change did not work. The Dutchman has carried himself extremely well - as you would expect for someone of his experience in the game - but failed to get results.
He lost 19 of his 27 games, winning five - with two of those coming in the last four matches when the Foxes had already been relegated.
Under him Leicester became the first Premier League team to lose eight games in a row without scoring during a run of defeats between February and April, which also equalled the club's record losing streak.
It leaves Van Nistelrooy in a fragile position, with the expectation he will leave while Russell Martin is a leading contender to replace him.
Fans called for the departure of director of football Jon Rudkin, who they view as key in their decline following two relegations in three years yet there seems to be no appetite to change at the top.
Leicester are entering a new era - one post Jamie Vardy - with the striker leaving at the end of his contract next month.
He is the last of the 2016 title winners left and the Foxes must find a new direction in the Championship next season, even as they look to avoid a points deduction.
Your Leicester player of the seasonpublished at 13:18 28 May
13:18 28 May
We asked you to select your Leicester player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan contributor.
After taking part in your thousands, we can reveal the winner is... Jamie Vardy!
Which teams put a shift in this season?published at 08:03 28 May
08:03 28 May
Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
Bournemouth and Tottenham were the most physical teams in the Premier League this season when considering the distance they covered and the number of sprints performed.
The results might explain why they had a lot of injuries.
Newcastle and Brighton were not too far behind though, with Brighton actually covering the most ground in the league, with fewer sprints.
Chelsea and Liverpool's style of play saw them sprint a lot but not cover a lot of ground, while Manchester City and Arsenal were the opposite (ran a lot but didn't sprint a lot).
Nottingham Forest very much had their own style of play this season as they both ran and sprinted the least.
Fan scorecard: Unsung hero? Overriding emotion?published at 08:31 27 May
08:31 27 May
Chris Forryan Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Season rating: 1/10. I fail to think of anything positive to say about what is possibly the worst season since the Frank McLintock season of 1977-78.
Happy with your manager? Is this a trick question? I would be happier with piles. After a few games when things started to pick up and look better, we had Ruud van Nistelrooy going back to his old drawing board against Bournemouth.
Unsung hero: Luke Thomas. One-time target of the terrace boo boys and social media keyboard warriors. After torrid loans at Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, he stood up to the mark when given the chance. He does walk a bit lopsided - probably caused by still having Mohamed Salah in his pocket.
Player you would most like to sign: I am going against almost everything I have been saying all season, but I would like to sign... JAMIE VARDY!
Not his best season by any stretch of the imagination. Not since 2005-06 have we had a season with the top goalscorer having so low a number as 10. But we love his leadership, commitment and effort. Let's be honest, with the service Vardy got this season, Lionel Messi wouldn't have scored.
Right now, my overriding emotion from the season is: Anger! Anger that this owner has let the club his family turned into champions, and set the example for the likes of Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford to follow, become a laughing stock. The big six, who said they must never let another Leicester happen again, must be celebrating our demise. Tough decisions have to be made at executive level, but can Kuhn Top make them?
'Vardy had a more colourful phrase... I'll just say it was a fiasco'published at 08:26 27 May
08:26 27 May
Image source, Getty Images
Here's my quick assessment of Liverpool's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.
Pre-season prediction: 19th
Ended the season: 18th
Steve Cooper lasted five months after succeeding Enzo Maresca. Ruud van Nistelrooy replaced Cooper, and took Leicester down. Jamie Vardy had a more colourful phrase for it, but here I will just say it was a fiasco.
Performances were desperate. There was fan discontent. It was not the note on which Vardy wanted to end his 13 years at King Power Stadium.
Leicester's ers are often accused of demanding too much. Whether this is true or not, they had every right to demand better than this on and off the pitch.
What I said in August: "Cooper and Leicester could defy the odds but it may well be a steep uphill struggle."
'Cannot a worse season in 50 years'published at 09:06 26 May
09:06 26 May
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Leicester's performance against Bournemouth, and their season overall.
Here are some of your comments:
Lindsay: I feel terrible. The manager never dramatically changed his style or first XI and left out in-form academy stars that were proving themselves in their squads. Ruud van Nistelrooy has to go and we need a proven manager who can bring in fresh players and merge them with the young stars of the academy, as long as PSR allows it.
Martin: We spent far too long chasing Graham Potter, but Harry Potter couldn't have kept us up this season. If Ruud wants to stay, I'd stick with him and give him the opportunity to build something. The clearout needs to be substantial, though.
Chris: Been going down the City for over 50 years and I'm certain there were more miserable seasons - but I can't one. Hollywood managerial gs very rarely work out well.
Phil: The longer it takes to make the change we all know needs to come, the poorer the pool of replacements will be, and the weaker the group of free agents will be. I would get Russell Martin in quickly so he can revive the squad with fresh blood.
John: Absolutely rubbish all season. Top needs to replace both Jon Rudkin and Susan Whelan straight away so the club can start afresh next season. I feel sorry for Ruud.
Gossip: Foxes make bid for Guinean youngsterpublished at 07:29 26 May
07:29 26 May
Leicester City have made a bid to sign 18-year-old Guinean forward Abdoul Karim Traore from French club Bourg-en-Bresse. (Foot Mercato - in French, external)
Bournemouth 2-0 Leicester - Foxes finish with whimperpublished at 22:26 25 May
22:26 25 May
Adam Millington BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
In what could turn out to be Ruud van Nistelrooy's final game in charge of Leicester, this was a meek performance.
They did not manage to muster any efforts on target and ed just three shots. Bournemouth kept Jakub Stolarczyk busy with 19 shots, seven hitting the target.
The Foxes managed to hold on until Antoine Semenyo finally broke the deadlock, but the goal had always seemed to be coming.
Apart from the earlier VAR intervention, only a stunning fingertip save from Stolarczyk shortly after the restart, when he denied Marcus Tavernier what would have been a superb goal, kept Leicester on level .
Leicester's only major chance came in the second chance when they counter-attacked after Bournemouth gave the ball away, but the hosts rapidly tracked back and Jordan Ayew eventually scuffed his effort at the back post.
Late chants of "Leicester till I die" from the visiting ers rounded off the season before they return to the second tier after a campaign in which they finished 18th, 15 points adrift of safety.
🎧 Discussing final-day defeat and Van Nistelrooypublished at 19:42 25 May
19:42 25 May
BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast brings you post- match analysis with former striker Matty Fryatt as the Foxes end their season with defeat at Bournemouth - plus reaction from Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Image source, Getty Images
