2025–26 Leicester City W.F.C. season
Leicester City 2025–26 football season
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The 2025–26 Leicester City W.F.C. season was the club's 22nd season of existence and their fifth season in the Women's Super League, the highest level of the football pyramid. Along with competing in the WSL, the club also competes in two domestic cup competitions: the FA Cup and the League Cup.
Head coachAmandine Miquel
(until 27 August)
Rick Passmoor
(interim from 4 September; from 10 October 2025 as permanent manager)
(until 27 August)
Rick Passmoor
(interim from 4 September; from 10 October 2025 as permanent manager)
StadiumKing Power Stadium, Leicester
WSL12th (relegated)
FA CupFourth round
| 2025–26 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Amandine Miquel (until 27 August) Rick Passmoor (interim from 4 September; from 10 October 2025 as permanent manager) | |||
| Stadium | King Power Stadium, Leicester | |||
| WSL | 12th (relegated) | |||
| FA Cup | Fourth round | |||
| League Cup | Group stage | |||
|
| ||||
Season summary
On 27 August 2025, Amandine Miquel was sacked after one season at the club.[1]
On 4 September 2025, Rick Passmoor was appointed as interim manager of the team.[2] On 10 October 2025, he was appointed as manager of the team, signing a three-year contract with the club.[3]
In the League Cup, they finished 2nd, with Crystal Palace only beating them on goal difference. In the FA Cup, the club went out in the fourth round.
On 29 April 2026, after their defeat to Arsenal, it was confirmed that Leicester would play in the relegation play-off at the end of the season.[4] On 2 May 2026, it was confirmed that Leicester would play Charlton Athletic in the relegation play-off.[5]
On 14 May 2026, it was announced that Leicester would play in the 2026 World Sevens Football tournament.[6]
On 23 May 2026, Leicester were relegated to the Women's Super League 2 after their loss to Charlton.[7]
Squad
- As of 27 January 2026[8]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Transfers
Transfers in
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 August 2025 | GK |  |
Katie Keane | Shamrock Rovers |
[9] |
| 5 August 2025 | MF |  |
Celeste Boureille |  Montpellier |
[10] |
| 15 August 2025 | DF | |
Heather Payne |  Everton |
[11] |
| 4 September 2025 | MF |  |
Emily van Egmond | Birmingham City |
[12] |
| MF | |
Olivia McLoughlin |  Rangers |
[13] | |
| FW |  |
Rosella Ayane | Tottenham Hotspur |
[14] | |
| 5 January 2026 | MF |  |
Emma Jansson | FC Rosengård |
[15] |
| 8 January 2026 | DF | |
Ashleigh Neville | Tottenham Hotspur |
[16] |
| 15 January 2026 | FW | |
Rachel Williams | Manchester United |
[17] |
| 22 January 2026 | FW |  |
Alisha Lehmann |  Como |
[18] |
Loans in
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Until | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 September 2025 | DF | |
Cecily Wellesley-Smith | Arsenal |
2 January 2026 | [19][20] |
| 6 January 2026 | DF | |
Sarah Mayling | Aston Villa |
End of season | [21] |
Transfers out
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 June 2025 | DF | |
Sophie Howard | Como |
[22] |
| DF |  |
CJ Bott | Wellington Phoenix |
[22] | |
| DF | |
Courtney Nevin | Malmö FF |
[22] | |
| MF |  |
Saori Takarada | Cerezo Osaka Yanmar Ladies |
[22] | |
| MF | |
Yūka Momiki | Everton |
[22] | |
| FW |  |
Deanne Rose | Nottingham Forest |
[22][23] | |
| FW |  |
Lena Petermann | Werder Bremen |
[22] | |
| 3 September 2025 | MF | |
Ruby Mace | Everton |
[24] |
| 9 September 2025 | FW | |
Shana Chossenotte | FC Fleury |
[25] |
| 8 January 2026 | FW |  |
Janice Cayman |  PSV Eindhoven |
[26] |
Loans out
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Until | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 September 2025 | GK | |
Katie Keane | Sheffield United |
31 September 2025 | [27] |
| 12 January 2026 | FW | |
Simone Sherwood | Sheffield United |
End of season | [28] |
| 27 January 2026 | FW |  |
Hlín Eiríksdóttir | ACF Fiorentina |
End of season | [29] |
Preseason
| 10 August 2025 Friendly | Leicester City | 0–0 | Everton | King Power Stadium |
| Report | Attendance: Behind-closed-doors |
Women's Super League
Results
| 7 September 2025 1 | Manchester United | 4–0 | Leicester City | Leigh |
| 12:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Leigh Sports Village Referee: Grace Lowe |
| 14 September 2025 2 | Leicester City | 1–0 | Liverpool | Leicester |
| 12:00 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: King Power Stadium Referee: Lisa Benn |
| 21 September 2025 3 | Chelsea | 1–0 | Leicester City | Kingston upon Thames |
| 12:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Kingsmeadow Referee: Melissa Burgin |
| 28 September 2025 4 | Leicester City | 1–2 | Tottenham Hotspur | Leicester |
| 12:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: King Power Stadium Referee: Harrison Blair |
| 5 October 2025 5 | Leicester City | 1–1 | Everton | Leicester |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: King Power Stadium Referee: Lisa Benn |
| 12 October 2025 6 | Aston Villa | 0–0 | Leicester City | Birmingham |
| 14:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Villa Park Referee: Melissa Burgin |
| 2 November 2025 7 | Leicester City | 1–4 | Arsenal | Leicester |
| 15:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: King Power Stadium Referee: Phoebe Cross |
| 9 November 2025 8 | West Ham | 1–1 | Leicester City | Dagenham |
| 12:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Victoria Road Referee: Kirsty Dowle |
| 16 November 2025 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4–1 | Leicester City | Crawley |
| 14:00 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Broadfield Stadium Referee: Megan Wilson |
| 7 December 2025 10 | Leicester City | 0–3 | Manchester City | Leicester |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: King Power Stadium Referee: Phoebe Cross |
| 14 December 2025 11 | Leicester City | 1–0 | London City Lionesses | Leicester |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: King Power Stadium Referee: Melissa Burgin |
| 11 January 2026 12 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–0 | Leicester City | Leyton |
| 14:00 | Report | Stadium: Brisbane Road Referee: Sophie Dennington |
| 25 January 2026 13 | Leicester City | 1–2 | West Ham | Leicester |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: King Power Stadium Referee: Abigail Byrne |
| 7 February 2026 15 | Leicester City | 0–2 | Manchester United | Leicester |
| 15:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: King Power Stadium Referee: Stacey Fullicks |
| 13 February 2026 16 | Manchester City | 6–0 | Leicester City | Manchester |
| 12:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Academy Stadium Referee: William Davis |
| 15 March 2026 17 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Leicester City | St Helens |
| 14:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Totally Wicked Stadium Referee: Megan Wilson |
| 22 March 2026 18 | Leicester City | 1–2 | Aston Villa | Leicester |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: King Power Stadium Referee: Stacey Pearson |
| 29 March 2026 19 | Leicester City | 0–1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Leicester |
| 15:00 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: King Power Stadium Attendance: 2,453 Referee: William Davis |
| 26 April 2026 20 | London City Lionesses | 5–1 | Leicester City | Bromley |
| 15:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Hayes Lane Referee: Sophie Dennington |
| 29 April 2026 14 | Arsenal | 7–0 | Leicester City | Holloway |
| 19:00 BST |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 18,130 Referee: Lisa Benn |
| Note: This fixture, originally scheduled for 31 January 2026, was postponed due to Arsenal's participation in the 2026 FIFA Women's Champions Cup.[30][31] | ||||
| 3 May 2026 21 | Leicester City | 1–3 | Chelsea | Leicester |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: King Power Stadium Referee: Adewunmi Soneye |
Relegation play-off
| 23 May 2026 Relegation playoff | Charlton Athletic | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (2–1 p) | Leicester City | London |
| 12:30 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: The Valley Referee: Emily Heaslip |
| Penalties | ||||
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Everton | 22 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 25 | 37 | −12 | 23 | |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 28 | 48 | −20 | 20 | |
| 10 | West Ham United | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 45 | −25 | 19 | |
| 11 | Liverpool | 22 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 21 | 34 | −13 | 17 | |
| 12 | Leicester City (R) | 22 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 11 | 52 | −41 | 9 | Consigned to relegation play-off |
Source: WSL League Table
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated
Women's FA Cup
| 18 January 2026 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3–0 | Leicester City | Leyton |
| 12:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Brisbane Road Attendance: 1,062 Referee: Kirsty Dowle |
Women's League Cup
| 24 September 2025 Group stage | Ipswich Town | 1–5 | Leicester City | Myland |
| 19:30 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 455 Referee: Richie Watkins |
| 19 October 2025 Group stage | London City Lionesses | 0–1 | Leicester City | Bromley |
| 14:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Hayes Lane Attendance: 990 Referee: Sophie Dennington |
| 23 November 2025 Group stage | Leicester City | 0–3 | Crystal Palace | Nottingham |
| 15:00 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Meadow Lane Referee: Alice Parker |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crystal Palace | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 6 | Advanced to knockout stage |
| 2 | Leicester City | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | |
| 3 | London City Lionesses | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | |
| 4 | Ipswich Town | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | −7 | 0 |
Source: Women's League Cup
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
Squad statistics
Appearances
Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances after the + symbol where applicable.
- As of match played 16 May 2026
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Player | Women's Super League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK | |
Janina Leitzig | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | |
Sari Kees | 16+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 3 | MF | |
Sam Tierney | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| 5 | MF | |
Emily van Egmond | 15+3 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| 6 | MF | |
Celeste Boureille | 5+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | |
Missy Goodwin | 2+6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 8 | FW |  |
Jutta Rantala | 3+8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 2 |
| 9 | FW | |
Noémie Mouchon | 2+14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| 10 | FW | |
Emma Jansson | 6+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | |
Alisha Lehmann | 5+4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 12 | DF | |
Asmita Ale | 19+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2+1 | 1 | 25 | 1 |
| 13 | GK |  |
Olivia Clark | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | |
Heather Payne | 3+6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 16 | GK | |
Katie Keane | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | |
Julie Thibaud | 18 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | |
Denny Draper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | |
Sarah Mayling | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 21 | FW | |
Hannah Cain | 20+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | |
Nelly Las | 0+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | |
Olivia McLoughlin | 17+3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | |
Shannon O'Brien | 17+4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 5 |
| 28 | FW | |
Rachel Williams | 4+4 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 29 | DF | |
Ashleigh Neville | 9+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 31 | DF |  |
Chantelle Swaby | 14+3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 32 | FW | |
Rosella Ayane | 0+10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| 57 | FW | |
Samantha Kaczmar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Players who appeared for the club but left during the season: | |||||||||||
| 4 | DF | |
Cecily Wellesley-Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | |
Janice Cayman | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 10+1 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | |
Hlín Eiríksdóttir | 5+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | FW | |
Simone Sherwood | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |