Even the sweetest champagne can cause a painful hangover and, despite regaining their Premier League status, Leicester City may experience the morning after the night before too soon.
A season that could end with 100 points and the Championship title is cause for much celebration, but the problem is that the euphoria may not last long.
In his first managerial role in English football, Enzo Maresca has carried out the instructions he accepted last summer and there will be a party atmosphere in the final two games against Preston and Blackburn.
After promotion was confirmed with Leeds’ 4-0 defeat to QPR on Friday, several players and members of the Italian coaching staff took an improvised kneel at Maresca’s home.
Others gathered at Hamza Choudhury’s house. On Saturday they still showed up for training and the squad and coaching staff enjoyed a celebratory breakfast before starting the session.
Enzo Maresca has fulfilled his mission of taking Leicester back to the Premier League
The coach and some of his players celebrate promotion after Leeds’ defeat against QPR
The team enjoyed a celebratory breakfast before returning to training ahead of the final matches
But the Foxes risk a hefty points deduction after being accused of breaching spending rules and that could have a significant impact on their Premier League campaign before it has even started.
They posted losses of almost £90m in 2022-23. When Leicester’s wage bill was similar to the club’s turnover but did not deliver the Champions League in 2020 or 2021, the damage had already been done.
Had they failed to achieve promotion this season, a similar Championship ban may have been imposed and the consequences of that are not worth thinking about.
Leicester have seen the financial turmoil that affected other Midlands clubs such as Derby and West Brom in recent seasons and returning to the top flight immediately should at least allow them to avoid such a scenario.
To reduce the possibility of further punishment from the Premier League, players are likely to be sold this summer, with key midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall attracting interest from Brighton, Fulham and Brentford.
He is valued at around £30m and, as a homegrown player, the 25-year-old’s transfer fee could be added to the balance sheet as pure profit, crucial to staying within profitability and sustainability regulations. Youth products such as Choudhury, Sammy Braybrooke and Ben Nelson could also raise vital funds if they were sold, just as it would upset their fans to see local lads leave.
High earners like Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi are likely to leave on free transfers. Leicester are interested in retaining Jannik Vestergaard and Jamie Vardy but both may have to agree to reduced terms, although there is cautious optimism that Vardy, arguably the greatest player in the club’s history, will extend his stay beyond his birthday. number 38.
Vardy has no plans to retire and believes he can continue beyond the age of 40. Fans have planned a tribute to the forward at the club’s final game of the season, at home to Blackburn, on May 4.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could be sold in the summer to help reduce financial penalties
Leicester legend Jamie Vardy may have to accept lesser terms in any new contract
Although his powers are waning, Vardy has 18 goals in 35 games this season and his presence alone makes him worth keeping.
With long-serving Marc Albrighton set to bid farewell to the club this summer, Vardy will be the sole survivor of that remarkable 2016 Premier League title.
Maresca deserves a lot of credit for the rise. His devotion to “the idea” (the style of football showcased by the Dutch in the 1970s and carried forward by Pep Guardiola) can sound a bit pompous at times, but Guardiola’s former assistant has not had it easy.
Although Leicester might have had the best players and the highest wage bill in the championship, the mentality of the team relegated from the Premier League was extremely unstable. Team spirit had declined to the point that players barely spent time together at the club’s huge training base, leaving common areas unused.
When Maresca arrived, he informed the squad to forget their past in the Premier League. Players who had wanted to leave, like Vestergaard and Ndidi, knocked on Maresca’s door to say that they had changed their minds and wanted to join. Both have been vital to the victory of this season.
As Leicester faltered and saw a 14-point gap to third place reduced to one, fans’ frustration with the slow, micromanaged passing game grew stronger. In the end, it was Leeds who lost their nerve and form and Leicester were able to cross the line, but the hard work starts now.
Maresca believes “the idea” will see Leicester better equipped to handle the Premier League, although with little spending power they may need to make adjustments. Top-class attackers will line up to face a defensive line as agile as Vestergaard and Wout Faes.
Much as it goes against Maresca’s principles, Leicester are hugely effective on the counter-attack, thanks to the pace of Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu and the perceptive passing of Ricardo Pereira and Harry Winks.
Guardiola may have used broadly the same approach throughout his career, but he has always worked with many of the world’s best players. Most of his colleagues don’t have that luxury and must use his resources accordingly. Will Maresca be cute enough to realize that?
Leicester insiders believe that the adversity of this season will be of great use to the team for what is to come.
The players have suffered some adversity this season that could help them in their return to the Premier League next season.
The manager deserves a lot of credit for the Foxes’ rise and the way he achieved it
However, heading into summer there are many unknowns and clear communication is vital. Two years ago, manager Brendan Rodgers believed he would have funds to renew his team, but at the start of pre-season he was told they were not available after all.
That tension with the club’s ownership cast a shadow over the entire campaign and to avoid a repeat, Leicester must be honest with Maresca on financial matters.
Just as the Italian coach must learn from his mistakes this term, the executive team must learn from theirs in 2022.
If they don’t, the shine of this season’s achievements will begin to fade quickly.
