Marti Cifuentes: How the Spanish coach ran out of time at Leicester City

But Cifuentes’ role in Leicester’s decline is only a small part of the club’s steep decline, with former Foxes striker Matty Fryatt saying the issues facing the BBC at Leicester go beyond who their coach is.

One person who works closely with Cifuentes said the Spaniard was performing the task “with one hand tied behind his back.”

the reason? A lack of funds has been put into rebuilding the squad for another Championship season after Mads Hermansen, Casey McAteer, James Justin, Wilfred Ndidi and Conor Coady were sold in an attempt to comply with spending rules.

Then there was the loss of Jamie Vardy, the former England striker and Foxes legend for whom the club failed to find a suitable – or remotely suitable – successor despite having years to plan his exit.

Leicester were one of only three clubs in the division – along with Oxford and now-hit administration-hit Sheffield Wednesday – not to pay for a permanent summer transfer.

The charges the club faces over alleged breaches of the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) when it was promoted from the Championship in 2024, and efforts to balance its books, have weighed on which team Cifuentes could call upon.

These issues could cost Leicester even more, with a decision yet to be reached on any points penalty related to the charges.

The side temporarily dominated by Andy King is not grappling with this complex reality.

But how Leicester City tries to strengthen its squad during the remainder of the winter transfer window remains an issue.

“We have to spend well, and we have to manage the rules to be PSR compliant,” Khun Top said.

“We should be able to pick good players who are still available, but we did it the right way and it’s not easy. It’s limited, very limited.”