But Cifuentes’ part in Leicester’s slide is only a sliver of a sharp decline for the club, with former Foxes striker Matty Fryatt telling BBC Radio Leicester issues go beyond who their manager is.
One person who works closely with Cifuentes said the Spaniard had been doing the job “with one hand tied behind his back”.
The reason? A lack of money put into rebuilding the side for another Championship season after selling off Mads Hermansen, Kasey McAteer, James Justin, Wilfred Ndidi and Conor Coady in an effort to comply with spending rules.
Then there was the loss of Jamie Vardy, the talismanic former England striker and Foxes legend that the club failed to find a suitable – or remotely adequate – successor for despite having years to plan for his exit.
Leicester were one of only three clubs in the division – alongside Oxford and the now administration-hit Sheffield Wednesday – not to pay for a permanent summer transfer.
The charges the club faces for alleged breaches of profit and sustainability rules (PSR) when they were promoted from the Championship in 2024, and efforts to balance their books, impacted the squad Cifuentes could call on.
And those issues may yet cost Leicester even more, with a decision yet to be reached about any points penalty relating to the charges.
The side that Andy King has taken interim control of is not grappling with that complicated reality.
But how Leicester go about trying to strengthen their squad during what remains of the winter transfer window remains an issue.
“We have to spend well, we have to manage the rules to be compliant with PSR,” Khun Top said.
“We have to be able to select good players to come who are still available, but we have do it in the right way and it’s not easy. And it’s limited, very limited.”
