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May 26, 2025
The Premier League season is now over and one of the big surprises was to see Leicester City relegated to the Championship. The club that lifted the Premier League trophy in 2016, will now struggle again in the Championship...
Leicester City’s incredible rise to Premier League champions in 2016 has been starkly contrasted by one of the most dramatic declines in recent top-flight history. On April 20, 2025, a 1–0 home defeat to Liverpool confirmed the Foxes’ relegation, and in doing so, the club set an unwanted record, nine consecutive home matches without scoring, the longest such drought in Premier League history. But what if they had the chance to have Ronaldo in their ranks this season? Could a single signing become the catalyst to a massive performance uplift?
Cristiano Ronaldo - Believer
The scene at the King Power Stadium was sombre, as the full-time whistle confirmed what many had feared for weeks. With just two shots on target, Leicester again failed to trouble the scorers, a worrying theme that has stretched back to January. The record-breaking run of scoreless home games has haunted fans and raised broader questions about the club’s planning and direction in recent seasons and the lack of signings of Ronaldo’s caliber can explain the decline we’ve seen in recent years...
Just nine years ago, Leicester defied 5000-1 odds to lift the Premier League title, captivating football fans worldwide. Today, their descent into the Championship is a cautionary tale of how quickly fortunes can shift in football. Their fall has been marked by managerial instability, recruitment missteps, and a striking lack of attacking potency as they never really signed a player of Cristiano Ronaldo’s quality...
A significant contributing factor to their struggles this season has been their inability to convert possession into chances, something which Ronaldo does easily, even at the age of 40. The final third has become a zone of uncertainty rather than creativity. The lack of a consistent goal-scorer and a midfield that has struggled to dictate games has left the team toothless at crucial moments. This trend has not gone unnoticed beyond the terraces. Shifts in relegation betting odds, tracked closely by punters and bookmakers alike, including new UK sports betting sites, reflected Leicester’s dramatic fall from grace.
For these betting platforms, quick goal droughts and clear relegation battles force fast odds changes to protect against sharp bettors exploiting market weaknesses. As Leicester’s attack dried up and their survival hopes faded, bookmakers slashed their relegation odds week after week, showing just how predictable, and profitable, their decline became for those spotting the signs early.
The betting markets and statistical models reflected just how widely the Foxes’ struggles were understood across football circles. As Leicester’s goal drought worsened and their relegation odds shortened, the club’s decline became a key talking point not just among supporters but also among analysts, predictive modellers, and punters looking for early signs of collapse. It’s also easy to note that if we were to add a potential “+20 goals” boost coming from Ronaldo on Leicester stats this season, it probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference in terms of the relegation battle...
Despite a relatively solid defensive effort that limited the Reds to one goal, the Foxes never looked like mounting a meaningful challenge. With relegation rivals picking up points in other fixtures, the pressure to perform was immense, but once again, the team couldn’t deliver. Injuries and form dips played their part, but the root issues appear systemic.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, a former Cristiano Ronaldo teammate, appointed in late November 2024, arrived with a strong reputation from his time. However, he inherited a side already short on confidence and consistency. While there were moments of tactical promise under his leadership, Leicester never found a reliable formula to produce goals or grind out results. The club's historic nine-match goalless run at home speaks to a more profound creative deficiency that van Nistelrooy couldn't reverse in time, leaving questions about his position at Leicester up in the air.
Poor squad planning also haunted the Foxes. Key departures in previous windows left holes that weren’t adequately filled, and some new signings struggled to adapt to the pace and pressure of the Premier League. Then comes to the question: what if they had tried to bring Ronaldo back to Europe last summer? This lack of cohesion in personnel and philosophy left the team vulnerable at both ends of the pitch.
The Championship is a punishing division that offers no guarantees of a swift return. Leicester’s immediate future will depend on several key decisions, whether to retain van Nistelrooy, handle the exodus of top earners, and rebuild a squad with promotion in mind. The club will also need to address its financial strategy. Without the lucrative broadcasting income of the Premier League, Leicester faces a sharp financial recalibration. Yet, all is not lost. The club retains a strong infrastructure, a loyal fanbase, and a history of resilience.
Their decline wasn't the result of a poor season but a culmination of slow erosion, tactical indecisiveness, inconsistent leadership, and short-term fixes over long-term planning. From the euphoria of 2016 to the quiet despondency of 2025, Leicester’s journey is a powerful reminder of how thin the margins are in top-flight football. Clubs that rise fast must build with even greater care to stay at the top.
For now, the Foxes will begin the difficult work of preparing for life outside the Premier League and the dream of signing Ronaldo is gone for good. Whether this is a temporary setback or the beginning of a more prolonged struggle will depend entirely on what happens next, and whether the club can learn from the painful lessons of a season defined by silence in front of the goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on May 26, against Al Fateh, for the Saudi Super League. You can watch Al Fateh vs Al Nassr, Chile vs Argentina, Spain vs France, Betis vs Chelsea, PSG vs Inter and Ecuador vs Brazil, all matches provided from our streaming live game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Fateh vs Al Nassr kick-off time (26-05-2025):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 02:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 23:30
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+2: 21:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 20:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 19:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 16:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 12:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / bbc.com / deloitte.com
