Journalist and pundit Guillem Balague has urged Leicester City supporters to unite behind manager Enzo Maresca and the team after they were charged for breaching financial rules by the Premier League.
The Foxes sat top of the Championship table for much of the first half of the season, and automatic promotion looked to be a certainty, but that is now far from guaranteed.
After winning just one of their last five league games, Leicester are now in second place on goal difference behind Leeds United, and they are just one point clear of third-placed Ipswich Town, but they do have a game in hand on the pair.
| Championship Table (As it stands March 21st) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Leeds United | 38 | 42 | 82 |
| 2 | Leicester City | 37 | 41 | 82 |
| 3 | Ipswich Town | 38 | 31 | 81 |
| 4 | Southampton | 36 | 26 | 73 |
| 5 | West Brom | 38 | 23 | 66 |
| 6 | Norwich City | 38 | 15 | 61 |
| 7 | Hull City | 37 | 7 | 58 |
| 8 | Coventry City | 37 | 16 | 57 |
In addition to their struggles on the pitch, there was bad news off the field for the Foxes this week as they were charged by the Premier League with alleged breaches of the Profitability and Sustainability rules, and they were placed under a registration embargo by the EFL.
Leicester issued a strong response to the charges, and they announced that they had taken legal action against the Premier League and EFL, but they could face a points deduction next season if they are promoted to the top flight.
According to Sky Sports, the Foxes could face a bigger penalty than the four-point penalty handed out to Nottingham Forest this week, while former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan said on talkSPORT that they may be given the strongest possible sanction for what he described as a “significant breach”.
Guillem Balague’s message to Leicester City supporters
Balague took to social media to react to the news of Leicester’s charges, praising the Foxes for maintaining their promotion push amid the off-field turmoil, and urging supporters to get behind Maresca and the players.
“What a situation LCFC and Enzo Maresca find themselves in,” Balague wrote on X.
“If they promote, they will get points deducted.
“If they don’t, they won’t be able to sign players in the summer.
“Now more than ever, LCFC fans should realise what the team is doing (in the middle of a storm) is extraordinary. Problems after problems and they are top of the table since August (now same points as Leeds with a game in hand).”
Leicester City supporters must listen to Guillem Balague comments
It has undoubtedly been an incredibly difficult period for Leicester.
Their form on the pitch has declined significantly in recent weeks, but even before that, tension had been building between Maresca and supporters, with the Italian hitting back at those who criticised his style of play in January.
There is big pressure on the Foxes after Leeds moved above them in the table, and with in-form Ipswich just a point behind in third, their automatic promotion hopes are under serious threat.
Even if Leicester are promoted, they could face severe punishments for their financial breaches, but with a potentially long legal battle ahead, the players must remain focused on securing a return to the Premier League.
As Balague says, supporters must unite behind Maresca and the team, and the news this week could have a galvanising effect on the club ahead of the final eight games of the season.
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