Football
Exclusive: Lincoln City High-Flyer Michael Skubala Enters Leicester City Managerial Race
Former Leicestershire teacher Michael Skubala emerges as a strong contender for Leicester City's new manager, with success at Lincoln City attracting interest. The 43-year-old is contracted at Lincoln until 2028. Leicester sit 14th in the Championship and are on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Marti Cifuentes. Russell Martin is also a favourite for the position.
Leyton Orient v Lincoln City - Sky Bet League One by Chris Vaughan | Getty Images
A former Leicestershire school teacher has emerged as strong contender to become Leicester City’s new manager, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
Michael Skubala has turned Lincoln City into surprise, but merited front runners for promotion from SkyBet League One.
And his success with the Imps, currently second to Cardiff City but six points ahead of third placed Bolton Wanderers, having played a game less, has attracted admiring glances from clubs outside the Premier League, including managerless Leicester.
Skubala, who was interim head coach at Leeds United after the sacking of American Jesse Marsch, was considered as successor to Lee Grant before Liam Manning was appointed Huddersfield’s new manager.
He started his working life as a PE teacher but graduated to become Director of Football at Loughborough University.
And while former Southampton and Rangers manager, Russell Martin, is a shorter priced favourite to replace Marti Cifuentes at the King Power Stadium, Skubala’s name is certainly known to the Foxes’ hierarchy.
The 43-year-old is contracted at Lincoln until the end of the 2027/2028 campaign. But Leicester wouldn’t baulk at paying compensation for the right man.
Leicester had sounded out current Celtic interim boss Martin O’Neill about a short-term return to the King Power Stadium in the event they chose to part company with Marti Cifuentes, but Celtic moved swiftly to appoint Wilfried Nancy, prompting O’Neill to return to Scotland instead.
Torrid Time For Foxes
The 2015/2016 Premier League champions and 2021 FA Cup winners currently languish 14th in the Championship, six points from the play-off places and nine off the bottom three.
Only rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday have conceded more than Leicester’s 43 goals.
And the axe fell on Spaniard Cifuentes after last Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat by Oxford United.
Former Leicester midfielder Robbie Savage played more games for City than any of his other clubs and is also thought to be in the mix.
However, his relative lack of managerial experience will count against him despite success at Macclesfield FC and National League Forest Green Rovers where he’s looking to guide the Gloucestershire side back into the EFL this season.
Shane is a seasoned sports journalist and one of the most recognisable voices in the snooker pressroom. From Ronnie O’Sullivan to Zhao Xintong, he has sat down with the sport’s biggest names and broken hundreds of front-page national stories.
Alongside his work for SportsBoom, Shane regularly freelances for national outlets including the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and Daily Star.
While cricket is Shane’s true passion, particularly Test cricket, he keeps it largely separate from his professional work. But don’t expect him to be sold on The Hundred as the future of the game.