Leicester City's bid to overturn their six-point penalty has been rejected, dealing a significant blow to the struggling Foxes as they battle against the drop.
An independent appeal board upheld the sanction imposed for breaching English Football League profit and sustainability regulations, leaving the 2016 Premier League champions languishing in 22nd position in the Championship.
The club now find themselves a single point adrift of safety with just five fixtures remaining this campaign.
Portsmouth, sitting directly above them in the table, also possess a match in hand, making Leicester's predicament all the more precarious as the season enters its final stretch.
Leicester City had lodged an appeal against the six-point penalty that has left them battling relegation in the Championship but it has been rejected
| PAThe punishment was originally handed down in February by an independent commission, causing Leicester to plummet from 17th to 20th in the standings.
The breach relates to the club's profit and sustainability position during the three-year period ending June 2024, when they were competing in the second tier during the 2023-24 campaign.
Leicester had contested that their case ought to have been assessed over 36 months rather than 37, owing to a delay in filing their annual accounts.
However, the commission determined the relevant period was indeed 36 months, during which the club exceeded the EFL's £83m spending limit by £20.8m.
The club acknowledged the appeal board's ruling in a statement released this afternoon.
We acknowledge that an independent Commission’s decision to recommend a six-point deduction on the Club has been upheld by an independent Appeal Board.
— Leicester City (@LCFC) April 8, 2026
The decision, accepted by the Club, relates to our profit and sustainability position for the three-year period to June 2024.
"With the matter now at an end and five games of the season remaining, everyone at the club is fully focused on the matches in front of us and on shaping the outcome of our season through our results on the pitch," Leicester said.
The statement continued: "We know this has been a challenging period, and we thank our supporters for the backing they continue to give the team."
Leicester emphasised that their remaining fixtures must be approached with the necessary focus and determination that their current circumstances require.
The failed appeal arrives amid a wretched run of form that has seen Leicester secure victory in merely one of their previous 12 matches across all competitions.
The Foxes lodged their appeal just two weeks after the initial sanction, doing so less than 24 hours following the appointment of Gary Rowett as interim head coach until the season's conclusion.
Their decline since the points deduction has been stark, with the club now facing the very real prospect of consecutive relegations.
Having lifted the Premier League trophy in that remarkable 2016 campaign, Leicester could soon find themselves competing in League One.