adminLeicester City’s slide towards a second successive relegation hit a new low on Saturday as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Portsmouth, with two senior players involved in ugly confrontations with supporters after the final whistle.
Ibane Bowat’s 63rd-minute goal from a set-piece was enough to give Portsmouth a precious victory, lifting them seven points above the drop zone.
Leicester, already deducted six points and sitting rock-bottom with only three games remaining, are now eight points from safety and staring at League One football next season.
The result itself was grim enough for the travelling Foxes fans, but the real drama unfolded off the pitch.
Hamza Choudhury, recalled to the starting XI and substituted in the 70th minute, became involved in a heated exchange with Portsmouth supporters as he left the field.
Home fans jeered the Bangladesh international, with some social media clips and fan accounts claiming racial abuse was directed at him.
Choudhury stopped to respond, leading to officials and Leicester staff intervening to escort him away. He was booked by referee Gavin Ward for inciting the crowd.
Matters escalated further after the match when Harry Winks, Leicester’s highest earner on around £90,000-a-week, was filmed in a furious confrontation with his own supporters near the team coach outside Fratton Park.
Video footage circulating widely on social media shows the former Tottenham and England midfielder turning back to shout “f*** off” and “shut up, f*** off” at travelling Leicester fans who were criticising the team’s performance.
Winks, who started in midfield alongside Choudhury, appeared visibly frustrated as he boarded the bus, with one fan reportedly telling him to “f*** off” first before the 30-year-old responded in kind.
The dual incidents have dominated headlines and social media discussion, painting a picture of a club in complete disarray both on and off the pitch.
Leicester fans have expressed heartbreak at seeing senior professionals clashing with supporters who had travelled to the south coast, while others have defended the players’ raw emotions amid a disastrous campaign that has yielded just 11 league wins.
Manager Gary Rowett struggled to contain the fallout. Speaking post-match, he said: “We lacked quality and composure today… the fans are hurting and so are the players. This is a desperate situation.”
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho praised his side’s resilience: “It was a tough, physical battle and we deserved the three points.”
Leicester now travel to Hull City next, with survival looking increasingly unlikely. The on-pitch battles have been poor all season, but the off-field flashpoints involving Choudhury and Winks have added a toxic layer to what is fast becoming one of the darkest periods in the club’s modern history.
Whether these incidents spark a final rally or further fracture the dressing room and fanbase remains to be seen as the Foxes fight to avoid dropping into the third tier.
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Abdulhafiz Teslim