Leicester appoint Gary Rowett as new manager

Leicester City have turned to a familiar face in their bid to avoid a second successive relegation, appointing former defender Gary Rowett as first-team manager until the end of the 2025-26 season. The 51-year-old succeeds Marti Cifuentes, who was dismissed last month after collecting only two wins from eight league matches, leaving the club entrenched in the Championship relegation zone.

Rowett, who played 57 games for Leicester between 2000 and 2002, returns to the King Power Stadium with more than 400 matches of second-tier managerial experience gleaned from spells at Burton Albion, Birmingham City, Derby County, Stoke City, Millwall and, most recently, Oxford United. He guided Oxford to safety last term, finishing 17th, but was relieved of his duties in December with the U’s 22nd in the table.

Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said the club targeted Rowett for his “deep knowledge of the Championship” and his familiarity with relegation dogfights. “It is a task on which the entire club is focused, and we will provide Gary with every support to help us find the solutions we need,” the chairman added.

Rowett will be joined by new assistant Callum Davidson, while club legend Andy King—who oversaw four straight defeats as interim boss—remains on the coaching staff. Rowett’s first assignment is a daunting trip to Stoke on Saturday, with only 14 league fixtures remaining and survival points at a premium.

The Foxes’ predicament has been compounded by a six-point deduction imposed earlier this month after an independent commission found the club breached the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules by £20.8 million over the three-year assessment period. The sanction leaves Leicester battling to avoid a historic drop into League One, something they have experienced only once before.

Rowett acknowledged the scale of the challenge, stating: “It’s very clear to us all what needs to be achieved between now and the end of the season and the work begins immediately. I’m looking forward to building connections with the players, with the staff at the club and with the fans—all of which will be vital to helping us secure the results we need.”

Supporters, already planning a protest ahead of the next home fixture against Norwich City, will hope Rowett’s Championship acumen can spark an immediate upturn and preserve second-tier status.