For Leicester City fans, history appears to be repeating itself as Marti Cifuentes became the latest Foxes head coach to be fired following a 2-1 loss to Oxford United on Saturday.

The Spaniard took over the East Midlands club in the summer, but due to a slew of financial troubles at the King Power Stadium, the former QPR manager was unable to splash out on transfers, and the club, along with crisis club Sheffield Wednesday, spent no money on permanent transfers.

Nonetheless, the Foxes have had an extraordinarily difficult season, with their most recent defeat dropping them to 14th in the Championship table, just nine points above the relegation zone.

With a points deduction expected, the horror of relegation to League One may become a reality as feeble promotion hopes fade, and fans’ criticism has eventually been directed to director of football Jon Rudkin.

Now, Leicester legend Jamie Vardy has reacted to a fan’s concern about Rudkin’s position at the club.

Jamie Vardy reacts to a question about Jon Rudkin’s involvement in Leicester City’s troubles
Vardy left the Foxes at the end of the 2024/25 season, ending a 13-year connection with the club, to join Italian side Cremonese, where he has five goals in 18 Serie A games.

The 39-year-old will be forever identified with Leicester, and after scoring 200 goals in 500 games for the 2016 Premier League champions, it is not surprising that Foxes fans will go to Italy to watch their hero play for his new team.

After Cremonese’s home game against Verona, one of the fans asked Vardy, “So, Rudkin’s the problem?”

The striker was evasive in his response, telling those who approached him, “I can neither confirm nor deny.”

Of course, Leicester fans will believe Vardy’s denial speaks for itself, with the ex-England star possibly echoing sentiments within the Foxes fanbase.

Leicester City must get its next appointment right after two years of failure.

Enzo Maresca’s football wasn’t always pretty during the 2023/24 Championship season, but consistency was vital for Leicester, who won the league and returned to the top flight for the first time. However, he left for Chelsea ahead of the next season, and Steve Cooper replaced him.

Cooper’s employment was doomed from the start, as he had close ties to East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest, and he was fired after only 15 games. Ruud Van Nistelrooy followed, along with another relegation.

The former Manchester United striker was unable to maintain Leicester in the Premier League, and after a chaotic conclusion, the Dutchman was stripped of his duties only days before the players returned for pre-season, with Cifuentes taking over.

Nonetheless, he was not supported by people in positions of power, and as director of football, Rudkin is ultimately responsible for moving the club forward and changing its fortunes. However, with Vardy’s assessment of Rudkin appearing to reflect that of supporters, there is enormous weight on this next appointment to be his best.