Leicester City Listed for Sale After 16 Years Under Thai Ownership
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Leicester City is being listed for sale by Thai conglomerate King Power Group after 16 years of ownership. The club, which won the Premier League in 2016 against 5000-1 odds, has been relegated to League One for two consecutive seasons. The group is seeking over £200 million through investment bank Citibank, with assets including the 32,000-seat King Power Stadium, training ground, women's team, and Belgian sister club OH Leuven.
Key Points
- King Power acquired Leicester City in 2010 for £35 million under the late chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a 2019 helicopter crash outside the stadium
- Current chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (Vichai's son) has taken responsibility for the club's decline and is now seeking an exit
- Citibank projects annual revenue exceeding £97 million by fiscal year 2026, though club debt includes £103.6 million in bank loans
- Assets for sale include the training ground opened in 2020 (valued at £121 million), women's team, and Belgian club OH Leuven
- The club recently sold 17-year-old Jeremy Monga to Manchester City for £10 million, showcasing youth development potential
Why It Matters
Leicester City's sale marks the end of one of football's most remarkable ownership tenures, which transformed a mid-table Premier League club into English champions. For potential investors, the listing represents an opportunity to acquire established infrastructure and a storied brand at a third-tier price. The club's trajectory from improbable glory to consecutive relegations illustrates the financial volatility facing even the most successful football enterprises.
Leicester City's sale marks the end of one of football's most remarkable ownership tenures, which transformed a mid-table Premier League club into English champions. For potential investors, the listing represents an opportunity to acquire established infrastructure and a storied brand at a third-tier price. The club's trajectory from improbable glory to consecutive relegations illustrates the financial volatility facing even the most successful football enterprises.