LONDON Dean Smith admitted Leicester City got what they deserved after the former Premier League champions were relegated on the final day of a dismal season.
Despite Sunday's 2-1 win against West Ham United, Smith's side were condemned to play in the second tier for the first time since 2014 after their relegation rivals Everton beat Bournemouth 1-0.
Just seven years after their against-all-odds title triumph, Leicester finished two points behind fourth-bottom Everton.
It was a painful end to a troubled season that featured the exit of former boss Brendan Rodgers by mutual consent in early April.
Smith was hired to save Leicester on a short-term contract until the end of the season.
But the 52-year-old suffered a second successive relegation after dropping out of the Premier League with Norwich City last season.
Smith conceded he had fallen short in his rescue mission but made it clear there were no excuses for his Thai-owned club's decline.
"We put some pressure on but it wasn't to be.
"When I came here with eight games to go, I thought we probably needed 11 points. We've fallen two short of that with nine," he said.
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