Ten years after a legendary, against-the-odds Premier League triumph, five years since winning the FA Cup, and a single season after dropping out of the top flight, Leicester City have been relegated to the third tier of English football.

For a club that experienced real tragedy not long ago it would be misguided to indulge in hyperbole, but a second straight relegation is a sporting disaster, certainly one of the most spectacular falls in the recent history of the domestic game.

The reasons for Leicester’s demise are numerous but on a highly-charged night it was a howler by Leicester’s goalkeeper Asmir Begovic that handed promotion-chasing Hull City the advantage. A Jordan James penalty sparked a second-half comeback, only for Ollie McBurnie’s clinical finish to ultimately seal the Foxes’ fate.

The King Power Stadium was bathed in golden spring sunshine before kick-off, which jarred with the severity of Leicester’s plight. In his programme notes the Leicester manager, Gary Rowett, described his side as being in a “very difficult situation” – he also deemed it necessary to assure supporters the “players are still working, still preparing, and they care about what’s happening”.

Harry Winks, who was involved in an altercation with fans after the 1-0 defeat against Portsmouth on Saturday, dropped to the bench along with Hamza Choudhury. Oliver Skipp and the 21-year-old James – who won the Championship young player of the season award this week – were alongside each other in defensive midfield.

Sergej Jakirovic, the Hull manager hoping to strengthen their case for the playoffs, made two changes: Ryan Giles starting in defence and John Lundstram in midfield.

The Foxes at least began like a team that needed a result – Patson Daka steered a lobbed effort on to the roof of the net inside five minutes before Divine Mukasa drove a low shot wide soon after. But Hull were threatening on the counter: Liam Millar nearly caught the hosts out with a charge down the right, then Lundstram bent a shot just wide from outside the area.

Then calamity arrived for Leicester. When McBurnie’s pressing put Begovic under pressure in his penalty area, the goalkeeper played a ludicrously careless and misdirected no-look pass in the direction of Jamaal Lascelles. The ball missed its intended target and Millar was on hand to curl a smart finish inside the far post. The away fans, who had already been chanting “You’re going down with the Wednesday” raised the volume still further.

Leicester were exposed again when a classy diagonal pass from Mohamed Belloumi found Millar in space on Hull’s left, but the Canada international blazed over after cutting in on his right foot. Six minutes before the break Leicester’s best chance yet arrived when a diving Daka deflected a cross from Luke Thomas agonisingly wide. A flicked effort by Hull’s Matt Crooks, just before the break, was repelled - narrowly keeping Leicester’s impossible dream alive.

What seemed an unlikely victory would still leave Leicester relying on a far-fetched set of results to save them come the end of the season. Still, the mood profoundly changed soon after half-time. A corner was taken short to Abdul Fatawu and Lewis Koumas, a half-time substitute for Hull’s Belloumi, clipped his opponent: penalty for Leicester and a potential lifeline.

James, having been made to wait a while, confidently drilled in his 11th goal of the season from the penalty spot and the home fans, suddenly, started to believe. Even more so when a flying Thomas volleyed in their second goal two minutes later. A furious Jakirovic was sent off by the referee, Thomas Kirk, as home fans celebrated the second goal.

When Winks appeared as a substitute for James, on the hour mark, the boos were nearly as deafening as the cheers had been for Leicester’s goals. The mood darkened even more when McBurnie capitalised on more generous home defending to slam in an equaliser for Hull, a high-quality assist coming from Millar. The visitors continued to look the more likely side to score, Semi Ajayi nodding just wide from a corner and the Foxes defence generally being by far the busier.

Aaron Ramsey, on for Skipp, was one of several Leicester players to threaten the visitors’ goal in a fraught finale. With five minutes left Ivor Pandur, the Hull goalkeeper, scythed down Daka on the edge of the area, bringing a yellow card, but Leicester failed to capitalise on the set piece. Two wins out of 20 league matches in 2026? It was always relegation form.