After more than a month since the end of the 2024/25 season, Leicester City has finally confirmed coach Ruud Van Nistelrooy will leave the club with a common consensus from both sides.
The Dutch strategist was appointed in December 2024 to replace Steve Cooper but could not help the relegation team. “Foxes” officially played in Championship after a disappointing season.
As revealed by The Sun, the reason Leicester delayed in announcing the decision was because waiting for a new accounting period in football to optimize the financial statements. Despite being predicted early, this information was officially confirmed today. The club said it had “agreed to terminate the contract” with the 48 -year -old coach.
In the farewell notice, Van Nistelrooy thanked all the players, coaching staff, academies and fans Leicester for his support and professionalism while he worked at King Power. The club also gratitude to him for his “dedication and effort” during his term.
Under Van Nistelrooy, Leicester had a very poor achievement: only won 4 in 25 matches in the Premier League, losing 18 matches. In particular, the team went through a series of 15 matches from December to April, only one victory over Tottenham. The result caused Leicester to fall down and ranked 18th in the end, less than 13 points behind the safety group.
Currently, Sean Dyche is the leading candidate to replace Van Nistelrooy. Former Everton and Burnley coaches are still unemployed after leaving Goodison Park in January 2025. The fact that Dyche is living in Nottingham – not far from Leicester – is said to be an advantage in the negotiation process.
If appointed, Dyche may have to work with a limited budget because Leicester is at risk of deducting points because of past financial violations. The club is still waiting for the decision from the organizers and can enter a new season with negative spots. Earlier, Leicester had contacted coach Russell Martin (former Southampton coach), but he accepted to lead Rangers.
As for Van Nistelrooy, he will have to restart the training career that has been highly appreciated at PSV, where he won the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield in 2023. After leaving PSV, he led Man United temporarily after Erik Ten HAG was fired, with 4 unbeaten matches including 2 victories against Leicester himself, 1 against PAOK and Hoa Chelsea 1-1.
