Leicester City

Image source, Getty Images

Former Leicester City and Chelsea defender Robert Huth was one of the key names who stood out in the latest episode of BBC's Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast.

Ranking the best Germans to play in the Premier League, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards placed Huth third and seventh respectively.

"I played against him when he was at Chelsea, at the back end of my career," said Shearer.

"I had a bit of a set-to with him and he got up and he got me in the nuts."

"We love Robert Huth in Leicester," added Gary Lineker.

"I loved his quote when someone asked him, 'how can you win the Premier League with a back four of Danny Simpson, Robert Huth, Wes Morgan and Christian Fuchs' and he went, 'N'Golo Kante'."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds here

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League appears desperate to destroy its position as the go-to league.

Who needs competition from Serie A and La Liga when you have overcomplicated, Byzantine financial rules? Just about every club is living in fear of making an accounting error that could lead to docked points.

Nottingham Forest suffered a four-point deduction from what was a technical breach, simply because they were trying to be competitive after years away from the top table.

Everton were dealt a heftier blow and there may be more to come.

Suddenly the lawyers feel the need to go after Leicester City, who aren't in the league but could face a knockout blow if they have the audacity to get promoted.

Manchester City and Chelsea fans must be quaking in case they are next to fall foul of the financial hit men.

The rules are overcomplicated and the implementation is bizarre.

It is perfectly possible we will not know who has been relegated until rulings have been challenged.

The game is being run by people who have no love or knowledge of the sport, specifically that the 'nuclear option' of points deductions should only ever be used in extraordinary, exceptional and unusual circumstances.

Pat Nevin was writing for the BBC Football Extra Newsletter

Former Leicester City captain Wes Morgan and ex-Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson tell The Football News Show what will make the difference in the race for automatic promotion from the Championship and why the games against teams in the bottom half of the table could be more pivotal than those higher up.

Watch The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer

Chris Forryan
Fan writer

"We don't want too many Leicester Citys."

According to the Independent, external, this is what a senior official from a Premier League 'big six' club said back in February 2020.

If Leicester have breached Financial Fair Play or profit and sustainability rules then we will accept the punishment due to us.

But how can we be charged when we have not yet published our accounts for 2022-23 yet? We did not have to because we had been relegated. It is like failing your driving test before you have sat in the car.

Boss of the English Football League (EFL) Rick Parry was on national television on Sunday saying it is all about the clubs and the fans. But he was the man who helped plan the Premier League and negotiated its first TV rights deal - worth a then record £304m - back in 1992, which started all this mess.

And why is everything going on behind closed doors? What is so secret?

The Premier League has charged smaller clubs like Everton, Nottingham Forest and now Leicester. You are seemingly punished for having ambition. Who will be next?

The sooner we have the independent regulator in place the better.

The Premier League and EFL have a lot of questions to answer, but will they? Answers on a postcard.

What Leicester did in 2015-16 enabled all fans to dream, and maybe this legal action by the club, if successful, will make the process more transparent.

All I hope is that it galvanises the management, players and supporters to finish the job, and that we see a repeat of the Band Of Brothers attitude from that season.

We are stronger together.

Chris Forryan can be found at Leicester Till I Die, external

BBC Radio Leicester's Jack Rafferty is joined by former Foxes winger Matt Piper to discuss the club's response to their alleged breach of profitability and sustainability rules.

They are joined by sport finance expert Dr Dan Plumley who explains the club's legal proceedings against the Premier League and English Football League.

He said he did not expect a speedy resolution and that it was "unlikely" for the case to be resolved before the end of the season.

Listen to the When You're Smiling Podcast on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester City have issued two legal proceedings against the Premier League and English Football League, in response to the charge for allegedly breaking spending rules during their last three seasons in the top flight.

Leicester have been referred to an independent commission for breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and failing to submit audited finances.

But the Foxes are also subject to a separate financial probe by the EFL. They are under transfer embargo as a result of the proceedings, as per EFL regulations.

In a statement, the EFL said: "Embargoes are intended to operate as a deterrent against clubs defaulting on financial obligations to clubs or players, and/or breaching other key relevant regulations."

Leicester say they have "disputed" this decision and called it "both restrictive and premature".

On the proceedings against the two organisations, Leicester said: "We reaffirm the club’s position that we will continue to fight for the right of Leicester City and all clubs to pursue their ambitions, particularly where these have been reasonably and fairly established through sustained sporting achievement."

We asked you for your feelings about Leicester's alleged breach of profit and sustainability rules and the prospect of a points deduction if found guilty.

Here are some of your responses:

Pete: It's a sorry state of affairs. They should also be looking at the top flight too. What baffles me is that in any other business in the real world, they would have gone under long ago. How is it possible to remain functional when constantly in debt?

Lee: Success and failure always come at a price - and I do not believe Leicester will be the last club to fall foul of these regulations!

Pat: Absolute joke. Financial fair play will be the death of football. No consistency anymore in football as it only services the rich clubs. Probably why most people are drifting away from football.

Rob: I am a Leicester fan, but rules are rules. If you break them, it is cheating. If you cheat, you should expect a points deduction. I believe any club that cheats should be automatically relegated. Vichai would not have allowed this to happen

Jamie: They're not the first, and they won't be the last. Expect to see many more clubs to fall foul of the rules, which seem to be designed to maintain the "top six" status quo as much as protect clubs from financial meltdown. We're having a great season and have a good shot at promotion. We just need to focus on ourselves.

Andy: Surely this is just down to poor business management because the rules are black and white? Spending over the odds on wages; declining offers for players we don't need.,Even signing Tom Cannon without offloading Patson Daka or Kelechi Iheanacho when we play with one striker. Who signs the cheques? I'd like to hear an explanation!

Chris: It feels a bit like the rules are designed to hit clubs coming up, and those trying to push on after some success harder than anyone else. But the fact remains we were one of the clubs who passed the rules. So in my mind, breaking them, still getting relegated and then apparently breaking them this season again, is utter incompetence from our board.

Owynn Palmer-Atkin
BBC Radio Leicester reporter

Image source, Reuters

Leicester City’s charge of an alleged breach of profitability and sustainability rules should not come as a surprise.

Warning signs regarding the club's financial situation have been flickering since the summer of 2022, when then-manager Brendan Rodgers complained of a lack of funds to further build a squad that had twice missed out on Champions League qualification.

That summer, Rodgers said he had spent weeks convincing players to sign for the club before being told funds were not available.

The club did spend a portion of the money they received from Wesley Fofana’s £75m move to Chelsea on Wout Faes that summer and then in January on Harry Souttar, Victor Kristiansen and to secure a loan deal for Tete.

There have been a number of problems: players leaving for free after refusing to sign new deals; players not leaving because of the over-inflated deals they have signed and, of course, relegation.

This year in January Leicester City emerged from the transfer window weaker than when they went in. Chelsea recalled Cesare Casadei and Leicester did not move any players out of the door. They also did not get the deal for Stefano Sensi over the line from Inter Milan because of financial issues, with it being left too late in the window to agree a creative solution with the Italian club.

Much to the frustration of manager, Enzo Maresca.

The club now find themselves in a difficult scenario. They have escaped EFL punishment for the moment, but now have the Premier League breathing down their neck.

They have vowed to defend themselves and the statement contains fighting talk. They see themselves as being punished for having ambition and for wanting to compete at the top end of English football. A question does need to be asked about how these current rules shift the power in the Premier League.

However, if found guilty, the Foxes could start next season on minus points.

Then, accountability will need to be taken.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Leicester City academy graduate Ian Baraclough says the situation at King Power Stadium "is a mess" after the Premier League charged the club with breaching its finance rules.

He argues it will be "difficult" for the staff and players to not get drawn in to "the background noise."

"There will be a frustration with it hanging over them," Baraclough told BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling Podcast. "Hopefully it will galvanise the team to make sure they get promoted and they can deal with it in the summer.

"But at this point of the season, as a manager, you have to prepare for the following season, whether that be in the Premier League or still in the Championship. It will have an effect on recruitment and players they would have been targeting for next season will now all be up in the air.

"As far as it goes for the coaching staff and players, they just have to concentrate on the season and the final nine games that are left. They need to get over the line and get promoted, but it will be difficult with the background noise.

"For me, it is just a mess."

Baraclough believes boss Enzo Maresca has a really important role to play in keeping his players focused on achieving their aims in the final weeks of the season.

"He will be trying to calm things and tell them the points deduction won't happen this season," Baraclough said. "You can't speculate as a player what might happen, so he will be telling them to concentrate on their job."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Leicester City have been charged by the Premier League with allegedly breaking spending rules during their past three seasons in the top flight.

The Foxes have been referred to an independent commission for breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and failing to submit audited finances.

If found guilty, the Championship side could face a points deduction that might spill into next season, regardless of whether they are promoted.

Let us know how you feel about the situation

Image source, Getty Images

What do the charges against Leicester City by the Premier League mean for the club?

The Foxes have been charged with allegedly breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and failing to submit audited finances during their last three seasons in the top flight.

So, should Leicester get promoted this season, will they start next season on minus points?

"If the charges are proven, then I think there's a very high chance of that," said football finance expert Kieran Maguire on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling Podcast.

"That is assuming that they have gone over the limit. We have seen in respect of Nottingham Forest that the ruling appears to be that you will get a three-point deduction for breaching the rules and then there is the sliding scale of how much extra you have gone over the limit."

Enzo Maresca's side are second in the Championship but have a game in hand on current leaders Leeds United.

The Foxes are also subject to a separate financial probe by the English Football League (EFL), should they not gain promotion this season.

"They will then be assessed, once again, by the EFL for the three years until the end of 2024, and they could be up against the EFL charge which is similar," added Maguire.

"Or the Premier League could try and impose some kind of financial sanction penalty, which we did see against Bournemouth, Leicester and Fulham previously."

Listen to the full discussion on the When You're Smiling Podcast

Nick Mashiter
Senior football news reporter

Image source, PA Media

Leicester's referral to an independent commission for alleged PSR breaches has clearly frustrated the club but there is a lot for them to consider.

The Foxes have underlined their commitment to co-operating in the process, something which benefited Nottingham Forest who had their penalty reduced by two points.

Leicester are second in the Championship and any penalty this season would have huge ramifications in the promotion race.

But there are just over six weeks until the end of the Championship campaign and, given any appeal would also need to be factored in, it is hard to see this situation being wrapped up by then.

The Premier League wants to move forward but it is out of their hands now Leicester have been referred to the independent commission.

As the Foxes were relegated last season, before the introduction of the top flight's new 'standard directions', the 12-week time frame - something used in Nottingham Forest's case - does not apply.

The directions are designed to ensure any charges are dealt with swiftly and any punishment is applied in the same season.

Instead, Leicester's case could follow a similar timescale to Everton's first charge before the new rules - although all parties would want a swifter resolution.

Everton were initially referred to a commission last March with their case eventually concluding in November when the Toffees were hit with an initial 10-point deduction, reduced to six on appeal.

Depending on what, if any, potential punishment is handed down - and this is still an alleged breach - the Foxes could start next season's Premier League season on minus points if they are promoted.

BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling has immediate reaction after Leicester City were charged by the Premier League on Thursday for allegedly breaching finance rules.

Commentator Owynn Palmer-Atkin is joined by former boss Ian Barraclough and club fan Jamie to discuss.

Listen on BBC Sounds

Chris Forryan
Fan writer

The big question has been: if - IF - we get promoted, how would we do in the Premier League?

Enzo Maresca said not to judge his team by our performances against top -flight teams. Right, like that was never going to happen.

So we have played three Premier League teams this season and, in my humble opinion, I don’t think we have disgraced ourselves at all.

An away trip to Anfield in the third round of the Carabao Cup resulted in a 3-1 reverse.

Leicester City actually took the lead after three minutes, but after Cody Gakpo levelled, it took a wonder strike and an in-off-the-post effort to see us off - but then no team apart from Liverpool has won at Anfield this season.

We visited Bournemouth in the FA Cup, seeing them off 1-0 to set up Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final at Chelsea. Yes, we lost 4-2, but away at a club whose squad cost £700m more than ours, we gave it a good go, outplaying them at times.

Liverpool and Chelsea away, would you expect anything in the league anyway? So with a summer transfer window ahead, if we do go up I am quietly confident.

Chris Forryan can be found at Leicester Till I Die, external

Former Leicester winger Matt Piper on Leeds overtaking the Foxes at the top of the Championship table: " I think the [international] break comes at a really good time for Leicester, especially after a good performance against a Premier League juggernaut in Chelsea. We didn't win the game, but some of the confidence they will take into this break is going to be really powerful for the last nine games.

"Hopefully they can get a few days off here and there, recharge the batteries and get ready for the final nine games.

"What are we known as at this football club? The underdogs. I do think we're better at chasing instead of trying to have that mental pressure of staying at the top of the table. You might see us now win the last nine games and break Reading's record.

"A lot of these players came down form the Premier League and aren't used to this schedule. They've had to get used to all that as well as a new philosophy. To be where we are at this stage of the season is tremendous."

Listen to the full episode here

Image source, Getty Images

Marc Albrighton has been discussing his "special 10 years" at Leicester City and the possibility of signing a new contract on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast.

The 34-year-old joined the club from Aston Villa in May 2014, following the Foxes' return to the Premier League for the first time in a decade.

Over the past nine years, Albrighton has written history. His achievements have included pulling Leicester City through 'The Great Escape', becoming a Premier League champion, scoring the club's first Champions League goal, and winning the FA Cup and Community Shield.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester's Owynn Palmer-Atkin about his time at the club, Albrighton revealed: "I'm not sure what next season brings and what the end of this season brings.

"But, whatever happens, I've absolutely loved my time here. It's been such a special 10 years in my life. It's been a massive part of my life, and one that I will forever look back on with fond memories.

"There's obviously been ups and downs. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster at times. The people I've met - the staff at the training ground and the stadium, the fans and the players I've met along the way.

"In terms of the new training ground, and the old training ground, it's been absolutely incredible to see how far this club has come. It will always have a special place in my heart."

Albrighton was also asked whether he would like to stay at the club, with his current contract set to expire in June 2024: "Of course. I love this club, absolutely. I've just got to see what's best for all parties - whether that be for myself, for the club or for the manager.

"I don't know what the future holds. There's been no conversations at all. Anything is possible, who knows? It's something to look forward to.

"If this is to be my last season, then I'm desperate for it to end with a little bit of silverware."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Former Leicester winger Matt Piper says the Foxes should take "real confidence" from their performance in Sunday's 4-2 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Chelsea, despite the end result.

Enzo Maresca's side showed great character to come back from 2-0 down at half time to level the match, before being reduced to 10 men and finally having their resistance broken by two late goals.

"It's a really difficult place to come regardless of whether they're in-form or not," Piper told BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast.

"They're a powerhouse of the Premier League, have got a good manager and £500m worth of players out on the pitch this afternoon. Anytime you come here, you are up against it.

"Leicester played well in the first half - maybe they didn't look sharp enough at either end of the pitch but the build-up play and the way they dominated the ball at times was impressive.

"Then, in the second half they took it to a different level. I think we saw some front-footed aggressive football that at times Chelsea struggled to live with.

"I thought there were some monster performances out there from some of our players. The crowd almost all stayed behind to show their thanks for a spirited performance.

"In the end, I think it was the red card that made the difference, and there were some tired bodies out there - but they should take real confidence from this performance."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts on Sunday's dramatic FA Cup quarter-final between Chelsea and Leicester City.

Here are some of your responses:

Chelsea fans

Colin: A usual Chelsea performance, showing a lack of experience again. Our attackers look good, but Sterling has absolutely no confidence and needs a break. Disasi needs to learn how to pass. Sanchez is a clear second-choice keeper. At least it's entertaining, unlike Tuchel's team.

Diane: Where do I start! The game had everything, which added to the tension for us. Why, oh why, did Sterling take the penalty and then miss a goal? He should've been substituted sooner but luckily the substitutions did the trick in the end. Gusto definitely deserved man of the match. It depends on who our next opponents are as to whether we progress.

Kev: I've seen every game this season but I am baffled as to why Pochettino picked Sanchez in such a vital game when Petrovic has been so safe. What exactly has Sterling done to justify selection? He goes off, play quickens and both substitutes score! Enough said.

PF: We always do it the hard way, never the easy way. Moments of magic, mixed with vulnerability, made for a good cup game. Anyone wondering why Sterling doesn't make the England squad needs to watch that game.

Leicester fans

Ben: A decent performance. The red card killed us but it shows that we can compete in the Premier League, although we did get away with some poor finishing from them. On to the Championship now. I don't mind about the FA Cup, it's all about promotion back to the Premier League.

Vincent: Leicester put up a good show, but the FA Cup was never a priority before the game anyway. We need to be 100% focused on the Championship, with Leeds going top of the table, and take it to the opposition every game until the last day of the season now.

Rob: What was the point of leaving Daka on the pitch? We were down to 10 men and he had done nothing all game, apart from his usual misses. There was no way we were going to survive the last eight minutes and extra-time. Why try and defend? Go for it and go out fighting.

Mark Chapman introduces highlights and analysis from the weekend's FA Cup quarter-finals.

If you missed any of the action, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to the weekend's BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentaries in full:

Wolves v Coventry

Man City v Newcastle

Chelsea v Leicester

Brighton maintain an interest in Leicester City's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after failing with a January bid for the English midfielder, 25. (Talksport, external)

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column