Leicester City Women face play-off to avoid relegation after nine straight defeats

Nine Women's Super League defeats in a row, just 10 goals scored all season – the writing has been on the wall for Leicester City women for some time. The 7-0 thumping at Arsenal on Wednesday confirmed, with two games left to play, Rick Passmoor's side will finish bottom. Coming just over a week since the ignominious relegation of the men's team to League One, it is another blemish on a club that seems to be unravelling. And yet this season, the women's side have a one-off opportunity for redemption. Instead of immediate demotion to the second tier, they face a play-off on Saturday, 23 May at the home of whoever finishes third in the Women's Super League 2. That is because the WSL is expanding from 12 to 14 teams before the 2026-27 season. For Passmoor and his squad, the mission is simple. Win and stay up. The alternative does not bear thinking about. "A double relegation would be a complete PR disaster," says BBC Radio Leicester reporter Zoe McGrady. Last season under Amandine Miquel, Leicester achieved their WSL record points tally of 20, winning five games at King Power Stadium to help them finish 10th. However, summer departures of key players Yuka Momiki and academy graduate Ruby Mace, both to Everton, significantly weakened the squad. Even more damaging, just 10 days before the start of the 2025-26 season and with two years remaining on her contract, Miquel left the club. It left the Foxes scrambling for a replacement, bringing in former West Ham assistant Passmoor, initially as interim and then appointed permanently. To those in the know, he has made a positive impact with the players but this has not translated to on-field performances. "Last season under Amandine, there was a lot of disconnect between staff and players," McGrady explains. "But now, it's odd because Hannah Cain told me [in March] that it was the best mood in the dressing room she'd experienced in the five-and-a-half years she'd been at Leicester. Other players all seem to agree. "Rick has made it a priority to get them happy and he has done that, but the results aren't showing." After a poor start, Leicester tried to make amends in January, opting for players with WSL experience including Alisha Lehmann, Rachel Williams and Ashleigh Neville. It hasn't worked. "It's really difficult to buy that they are all really happy," says fan and Her Football Hub writer Lucy Jones. "It feels like we've got players that have signed because they weren't getting a starting position for their club. "The real home-and-away fans are not the ones that will be impressed by a big-name signing. We want someone that will fight for the club." With the media, Passmoor is upbeat and honest, stressing in the aftermath of Wednesday's defeat that Leicester now have "clarity" about what they have to do. He has also previously recognised there will be a "reset" if relegation is confirmed. What that looks like is uncertain. Leicester City women have been playing at King Power Stadium since 2021 and over the past three seasons in the WSL have averaged 2,700 fans per home game. That is a lot of empty seats in the 32,261 capacity ground. "If they're relegated to WSL 2, I don't see a world where they will carry on at King Power," says McGrady. "From my understanding they'd likely move to Notts County where they've played cup games." Then there is the training ground. The Belvoir Drive facility has been part of Leicester City for more than 60 years and home exclusively to the women's side since the men's state-of-the-art Seagrave location opened five years ago. Having two training grounds is quite a statement, but also a financial commitment for a club with League One and (potentially) WSL 2 outfits on its books. After all, the broadcast revenue will diminish sharply for both sides – the BBC and Sky Sports' record-breaking five-year contract is only to show all Women's Super League games, not the second tier. "While the men's and women's teams operate with different budgets and infrastructures, the parallel difficulties do raise questions about club strategy, resource allocation and the challenges of sustaining competitiveness across both sides under current ownership," McGrady says. "This season has been a harsh reminder of how quickly momentum can shift in elite women's football." The damage done to hearts and minds may be the biggest of all. "There's a real sadness about the city – and there's real anger at the bad decisions," continues Jones. "Who is going to be attracted to Leicester? The women's budget is already on a shoestring. "The fanbase is going to feel really, really let down." Leicester City are yet to reveal details of potential changes and cuts due to relegation, but history offers a cautionary tale. In 2022-23, a 3-0 defeat on the final day by champions Chelsea consigned Reading to relegation after an eight-year stint in the top flight. Earlier that month, Reading men's team had similarly been relegated, down to League One in part thanks to a six-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules. In a strange parallel, Leicester City's men were also docked six points this season for breaking financial rules. Three years on, Reading remain in English football's third tier but the women's team has plummeted. After just one season in the then-Women's Championship, they were forced to withdraw due to financial difficulties. They currently play in the Southern Region Premier Division, with home games at Arbour Park in Slough. That is five leagues below the heady days of a full-time professional outfit fielding home matches at the men's Madejski Stadium.