Leicester City next manager: Ralph Hasenhuttl backed to complete Championship return
Ralph Hasenhuttl has emerged as the favourite to take over at Leicester City in the coming days.
The Foxes are in desperate need of intervention after suffering five consecutive losses across all competitions.
Currently led by Andy King, Leicester sacked Marti Cifuentes last month but are yet to hire his replacement, and now sit in the Championship relegation zone.
Portsmouth and West Brom remain just two points adrift, but tough upcoming matches against Stoke City, Middlesbrough, Norwich City and Ipswich Town could see the threat of relegation grow significantly.
Several managers have been tipped to take over at Leicester, but there has been little tangible progress in the search for a new figurehead.
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Ralph Hasenhuttle leads Leicester City race
With six losses in their last seven games and no wins since the start of January, Leicester find themselves in an unfamiliar position.
The threat of relegation looms large, and a first return to the third tier of English football since the 2008-09 season is now on the cards.
| Leicester City | Position | League |
| 2025-26 | 22 (ongoing) | Championship |
| 2024-25 | 18 | Premier League |
| 2023-24 | 1 | Championship |
| 2022-23 | 18 | Premier League |
| 2021-22 | 8 | Premier League |
Less than four years ago, Leicester had just finished eighth in the Premier League after a season in which they had played European football.
The fall-off has been so severe over the last 18 months, and decision-makers now threaten to oversee a situation that mirrors what happened at Sunderland.
The Black Cats suffered back-to-back relegations to League One in 2018, and would not make their return to the Premier League until just last year.
The clubs’ finances have now recovered, but they were decimated by the decline – a fate Leicester must avoid at all costs.
One major bookmaker has tipped Ralph Hasenhuttl at 2/1 to be the man appointed in an attempt to avert the pending disaster, while Gary Rowett (5/1) and Sean Dyche (5/1) remain in contention.
Andy King offers Leicester update
Saturday’s FA Cup loss to Southampton did offer some hope when Oliver Skipp scored a spectacular overhead kick to send the game to extra time.
James Bree’s goal would ultimately send the Foxes crashing out of the cup, however, and leave King with more questions to answer after the game.
“Nope. I’m sorry to keep letting you guys down about that,” the interim manager said when asked if there was an update on the search. “It’s not a question for me. I can’t answer you on that.”
“My remit was to take the team while they’re looking for a new manager,” he added. “I’m sure they’re looking for someone and they’ve been speaking to people.”
King is present in the bookies’ race for the permanent position, but he confirmed himself that he will not be taking the job.
He said: “We’re all on the same page in terms of I’m doing it while they’re looking for a new manager.
“I’ve said to you before, I don’t want the job, I’m not going for the job. I’m just doing it while they search for someone more permanent.”