Sacked Championship manager becomes contender for Leicester job with Carsley and Martin admired

Gary Rowett is among the names being considered for the Leicester vacancy following Marti Cifuente’s sacking, talkSPORT understands.

Cifuentes was given his marching orders on Sunday at the King Power Stadium following a 2-1 loss to Oxford United a day earlier.

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Leicester’s latest defeat, their 11th in the Championship this term, left them 14th in the table and six points outside the play-off spots.

Former Foxes midfielder Andy King has since been placed in interim charge of the club.

King was a member of the famous squad that overcame 5,000-1 odds to win the Premier League in the 2015/16 season.

And while the former midfielder is at the wheel for the time being, new contenders for the permanent role have now emerged.

Foxes shortlist emerges

Among those in the hat for the Leicester vacancy is former Oxford boss Rowett, who was sacked by the club in December.

Rowett was dismissed with the U’s 21st in the Championship table, who have since slipped down a place to second-bottom, and are three points adrift of safety.

He had previously helped Oxford to avoid relegation in the 2024/25 campaign, in their first season back in the second tier in 25 years.

The 51-year-old also boasts over 350 games of Championship managerial experience across spells at Birmingham City, Derby, Stoke and Millwall.

But Rowett is not the only candidate for the Leicester job, with England under-21s boss Lee Carsley and former Rangers and Southampton manager Russell Martin also having admirers on the Foxes board.

Martin was sacked by Rangers in October following a disastrous spell at Ibrox which saw him last just 123 days in role.

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Meanwhile Carsley led England’s under-21s to European glory in both 2023 and 2025, and impressed during his time in charge of the Three Lions’ senior team in 2024, winning five of his six games at the helm.

Leicester chairman issues statement

Addressing the decision to dismiss Cifuentes, Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said in a club statement: “This has been a difficult decision and not one I have taken lightly,”

“I would like to thank Martí for the total commitment he has shown during his time at Leicester City.

“He gave everything to the role and worked tirelessly to help us achieve our targets.

“However, I believe this is the right step at this time to improve performances and results, and to act in the best interests of Leicester City Football Club.

“Martí leaves with our thanks and our best wishes for the future.”

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Cifuentes’ departure comes amid troubling times at the King Power Stadium as they face serious restrictions on spending.

It is expected Leicester, who were in the Premier League last season, will only be able to bring in players on loan in January.

The club also faces a potential mass exodus, with a number of players understood to be looking at an exit.

One of those is Harry Winks, who signed for the club in July 2023.

Alex Crook’s verdict on Cifuentes’ sacking

Speaking on talkSPORT, chief football correspondent Alex Crook pointed out the blame for Leicester’s demise should not squarely sit on the shoulders of Cifuentes and instead called for those in the club’s hierarchy to face serious questions.

“Marti Cifuentes hasn’t really been able to rebuild the squad,” Crook said.

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“Only Sheffield Wednesday, subject to a transfer embargo, spent less than Leicester in the summer.

“They’ve got players there on Premier League wages who I think believe they should be playing in the Premier League. It’s quite a toxic dressing room.

“This is the latest manager to try and fail to deliver success at Leicester. They had Ruud van Nistelrooy at the end of last season, Steve Cooper before that as well.

“I would suggest it’s not just the manager who should be under the microscope, but the people who are making the big decisions in the boardroom as well.”

Cifuentes’ record as Leicester boss

Cifuentes leaves the King Power Stadium with a record of 11 wins, eight draws and 12 defeats from 31 matches across all competitions.

The Spaniard was poached from Queens Park Rangers to become the Foxes’ new manager ahead of the 2025/26 campaign and signed a three-year deal.

Such was Cifuentes’ desire to take over at Leicester, who had just been relegated from the Premier League, he personally paid part of his own compensation package, which was in excess of £400,000.

However, his tenure struggled to properly get going.

Such was the supporters’ frustrations towards Cifuentes and the club amid dwindling results, extra security was deployed around the directors’ box during a 3-2 loss to Sheffield United in November.

Although Cifuentes enjoyed a stay of execution, the loss against Oxford United proved to be the final nail in the coffin.