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.
This story is from the May 30, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 30, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Brother of Indonesian President-elect builds tin-processing plant in Batam
His target market includes electronics makers that have moved from China to S-E Asia
'A VERY PROUD MOMENT'
Schooling, Yip among 21 legends inducted in Singapore Aquatics’ inaugural Hall Of Fame
CITY WANT ONLY TO DEFEAT FULHAM
Guardiola says that’s their lone concern, not whether United beat title-rivals Arsenal
SHAWAL'S FORM POSES ATTACKING DILEMMA
Pacey forward shines in Sailors’ 4-1 win over Hougang, as new striker gets ready to join
IT'S PEREIRA'S CROWNING GLORY
Sprint queen’s crazy’ season rewarded with The Straits Times Athlete of the Year 2023
MAGNUSSON OVERCOMES HEALTH ISSUES
Swede, hit by gluten intolerance in 2023, stays in the hunt at Aramco Team Series
BURRIDGE SQUAD ON POINT
Kranji Mile trio Street Of Dreams, Invincible Tycoon, Cavalry ready, Ghalib on undercard
Younger S'poreans understand importance of Chinese language
Today's Singaporeans understand the importance of the Chinese language, and want to ensure that the next generation of Singaporeans have a good grasp of their mother tongue, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Great Eastern shares soar after OCBC makes $1.4b buyout offer
Bid at 25.60 per share is above May 9 market close, below embedded value
Duelling major shareholders share plans to tackle Cordlife's troubles
Move comes after SGX asks for clarity on how company will resolve current issues
