Leicester City are set to introduce a new position of technical director as part of a structural revamp that is expected to see Jon Rudkin’s role as director of football adjusted.
An interim managing director has already been installed, with business strategist Kamonthip Netthanomsak drafted in to “focus” on both operational and commercial aspects of the club “during a period of executive transition”.
New football expertise is being pursued by a club that has dropped out of the Premier League twice in three seasons, with the hunt for a technical director now in progress.
The proposed alteration is viewed as moving Rudkin “upstairs”, external though in an interview shared on the club’s website, chairman and owner Khun Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha did not offer specifics.
But he did mention the club “needs time to rebuild everything”.
“Maybe some fans are not happy with the answer that I say, but it’s realistic,” Khun Top said.
“It will take effort and time. I will not let this situation go on and on.”
The revamp arrives only weeks after Khun Top stepped in as interim chief executive following the exit of Susan Whelan, who had been part of the club for 15 years.
Rudkin has served the Foxes for over a decade and played a key role in delivering unprecedented success to a club that captured a previously unimaginable Premier League title in 2016.
Alongside the English crown, Leicester have lifted the FA Cup, secured the Community Shield and advanced to the knockout rounds of the Champions League and Europa League.
Two Premier League relegations in three campaigns, along with the club’s ongoing off-field legal dispute to avoid a points deduction for alleged spending rule violations in recent years, has strained relations between the club’s leadership and its fanbase.
Tension seemed to reach a new low at Norwich last week, with a small section of supporters condemned by fellow fans and the club for threatening chants, external directed at Rudkin.
The win at Carrow Road was Leicester’s first in six matches, and only their second in 11 games dating back to August, leaving them 12th in the Championship standings.
The status of manager Martin Cifuentes, who has also faced criticism from supporters after the Foxes’ underwhelming start, is believed to be secure and not in any immediate danger.
Khun Top and others have faced backlash for their limited communication with fans during difficult periods, though this restructuring and the in-house interview released on the club’s website is one way the Foxes are attempting to “reconnect” with supporters.
Khun Top took part in an online session with the club’s fan advisory board following his recorded interview in Bangkok earlier this month, and Netthanomsak is scheduled to meet with the group on the owner’s behalf next week.
“Maybe it’s my fault, I used to talk to the fans and the media but I have responsibilities here in Thailand a lot,” he added.
“I want to get closer, I want to get more information to the fans.”