Leicester City have landed in an awkward situation away from the pitch after being forced to issue an apology to staff over a late alteration to their December salary payments.
For the first time in a number of years, employees were informed that wages would not be received until after Christmas, ending a long-standing club custom aimed at easing financial strain during the festive period.
Festive discontent behind the scenes at the King Power:
According to The Daily Mail, an internal email sent to staff outlined that salaries would be paid on December 31 rather than before Christmas, as had previously been customary.
While the club’s official payday has always fallen on the final day of the month, Leicester had regularly brought payments forward in December to help staff budget and spend over the holiday period.
This practice applied throughout the organisation, impacting administrative workers, players and senior executives alike. However, the decision was poorly received due to the timing of the announcement, which arrived only days before Christmas.
Club insists finances are stable:
Leicester were swift to emphasise that the decision was not connected to any immediate financial trouble. Club sources have insisted that the organisation remains financially sound, despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding its wider circumstances.
That said, there is believed to be considerable internal frustration, largely stemming from the lack of advance warning. Staff had become used to receiving wages early in December, typically on the final Friday or working day before Christmas, making the sudden shift particularly unsettling. The email is understood to have been issued by interim managing director Kamonthip Netthanomsak.
It read:
“I recognise that the earlier payment has become a valued tradition for many colleagues, and it is regrettable that I have been unable to relay this with greater notice to allow more time for your personal financial planning over the festive period. Please accept my personal apologies for any inconvenience this may cause you.”
Hard times away from the pitch:
The situation compounds what has been a difficult spell for Leicester City off the field. Since their first relegation from the Premier League in 2023, stability has been hard to come by.
Although the Foxes secured an immediate return to the top flight at the first attempt, that achievement was followed by another relegation, leaving the club back in the Championship once more.
Uncertainty continues to hang over the club’s future, with Leicester still awaiting the conclusion of an investigation into alleged breaches of financial regulations.
If penalties are applied, there is speculation that a points deduction of between six and nine points could be imposed, potentially altering their promotion hopes significantly.
On the pitch, however, there have been recent signs of progress. Under Martí Cifuentes, Leicester have put together a run of encouraging performances, including impressive wins over Derby County and Ipswich Town, alongside a gritty draw away at Bristol City. Those results have offered a measure of optimism amid the broader instability. They currently sit eighth in the table with 31 points from 21 matches.