JUST IN: Ruud van Nistelrooy And Leicester City Part Ways On Mutual Consent—-Ruud van Nistelrooy has left Leicester City by ‘mutual’ consent, the club said on Friday, after the Dutchman oversaw a disastrous second half to the season that ended in relegation from the Premier League.
Van Nistelrooy replaced Steve Cooper at the end of November, joining the Foxes on a deal that was set to last until June 2027. However, he will leave the club two years early after failing to improve the side’s fortunes.
A dismal Premier League run featured just five wins and four draws, while Van Nistelrooy’s team lost 18 times en route to relegation to the Championship. Now, Leicester and the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Netherlands striker have “mutually agreed” to end their partnership.
A club statement released on Friday (27 June) read: “Leicester City Football Club and Ruud van Nistelrooy have mutually agreed that Ruud’s contract with the Club as First Team Manager will terminate with immediate effect.
“Ruud has overseen a challenging period for the Club. From his appointment in November 2024, he approached the role with professionalism, integrity and a clear commitment to our aims, including through the integration of several promising players from the Club’s Academy into our First Team environment.
“Ruud moves on with the respect and thanks of everyone at the Football Club for his dedication and hard work, and with our very best wishes for the future. Preparation for the EFL Championship season will continue with the planned start of pre-season on Monday 30 June. First Team coaching staff will oversee the delivery of those plans until a new manager is appointed. There will be no further comment until this process has been completed.”
Van Nistelrooy said: “I would like to personally thank the Leicester City players, coaches, academy and all the staff I have worked with for their professionalism and dedication during my time at the Club and to thank the fans for their support, and take this opportunity to wish the Club well for the future.”
Van Nistelrooy, 48, joined Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff at Man United last summer, but his compatriot was sacked in October. Van Nistelrooy then took charge as interim coach at Old Trafford, overseeing a 5-2 win over Leicester in his first game, before joining the Foxes in late November.
Prior to joining Man United, Van Nistelrooy coached PSV – another of his former clubs – from the start of the 2022/23 season until the penultimate game. He left a match before the end of the Eredivisie season, having won the Johan Cruyff Shield and domestic cup earlier in the campaign. Before that, Van Nistelrooy had coached PSV’s under-17 and under-19 teams.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has invited the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Adeniyi Adeola Ajakaiye, for questioning after he made a quiet but suspicious demand for the chair used by Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji during a thanksgiving service at Babamuboni Memorial Anglican Church, Iyin-Ekiti.
According to leaked correspondences exchanged between Babamuboni Anglican Church and Oluyin’s Palace, Governor Oyebanji had attended an event on May 31, 2026 at the invitation of Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, an indigene of Iyin-Ekiti few days to the state’s gubernatorial election.
How Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti Strangely Demanded Governor’s Seat
It was gathered that after the church program, the Oluyin of Iyin Ekiti, Oba Ajakaiye quietly and specifically requested for the chair which the Governor sat on during the church program.
The church’s Vicar who suspected a mischief by the Oluyin’s palace politely declined the estranged and bizzare request.
According to the church, the decline made Oba Oluyin furious who immediately influenced the untimely transfer of the church’s vicar, Ven. Dr. Samuel Sunday Agunbiade from the church.
The Palace, in a letter addressed to the church , insisted that the governor’s seat be surrendered for “royal custody and appropriate traditional rites.”
In the said letter from the Oluyin-in-Council to the church, they strangely said that “the replacement chair to be commissioned henceforth shall be placed under strict and adequate guard at all times, to avert any future desecration or recurrence of such grave oversight against the sanctity of the stool.”
Meanwhile, the request which has been described as barbaric and bizarre in Nigeria’s political and religious history, immediately raised suspicion and outrage within the community.
The Position of the Anglican Church
The Anglican Church, in its formal reply, rejected the demand, stressing that church property is held in trust under ecclesiastical governance. It further explained that the chair no longer existed, having already been dismantled and incorporated into the altar furnishing.
According to the church, “Consequently, the Church is not at liberty to surrender, transfer, or remove dedicated Church property for external purposes outside the procedures prescribed by ecclesiastical authority.
“As custodians of these properties, we are duty-bound to preserve and administer them in accordance with the doctrine, discipline, and governance of the Church.”
Despite the stance of the church to strictly adhere to its ecclesiastical responsibilities and constitutional obligations, the palace persisted.
Outrage in Iyin-Ekiti as Residents React
Residents of Iyin-Ekiti alleged that the monarch’s insistence was not cultural but sinister with claims that the chair might be for ritual manipulation against the governor whom at the time was preparing for his re-election.
They noted that the DSS invitation to the Oluyin underscores how seriously the security agency views the matter stressing that there are sinister motive behind the estranged act.
It was equally gathered that the fallout extended to the church leadership. Ven. Dr. Agunbiade, the vicar who stood firm against the palace’s demand, was transferred under circumstances widely perceived as punitive.
Residents noted that while governors, presidents, and dignitaries have attended church services across Nigeria and Ekiti State in particular for decades, never has a demand been made for their chairs to undergo “traditional rites.”
They described the incident as mischievous while calling for a thorough investigation by the DSS to unravel the mystery and sinister motives behind the bizzare request of the monarch.
Nigerian banks have moved swiftly to contain the effects of a sophisticated global cyber campaign sweeping across sectors and continents, with industry sources assuring the public that the nation’s financial system remains strong, resilient and secure.
The campaign, described by analysts as one of the most coordinated waves of attacks in years, is neither peculiar to Nigeria nor limited to finance. Organisations in telecommunications, healthcare, government, energy, technology and corporate registries across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa have been targeted by the same wave of intrusions, underscoring the borderless nature of modern cybercrime.
The data is stark: CheckPoint, a leading international cybersecurity firm, reports a 115 per cent surge in attacks on the global financial sector last year, with organisations worldwide facing thousands of attempted intrusions weekly. The current campaign has been linked to threat actors that have struck more than 35 organisations across several countries and sectors.
Despite the onslaught, banking services and digital channels across Nigeria remain fully operational and customer deposits safe. Banks activated their incident response protocols as soon as reports emerged, working closely with regulators, law enforcement and international cybersecurity partners to investigate and strengthen their defences. Nigerian banks operate some of the most advanced cybersecurity infrastructure on the continent, backed by years of sustained investment in protecting customer information and assets. Experts note that resilience in an era of global cyber warfare lies not in immunity from attack, which no organisation can claim, but in the speed and rigour of response, and on that measure the industry has acted decisively and in full compliance with regulatory requirements.
The banking public is, however, urged to remain vigilant. Fraudsters often exploit moments of heightened attention with fake calls, text messages and emails. Customers should never divulge personal or banking information, including passwords, PINs, One-Time Passwords (OTPs), card details or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), to anyone over the telephone, however convincing the caller sounds; no bank will ever ask for these details.
They should also avoid opening suspicious emails, clicking unfamiliar links or downloading attachments from unknown senders. Anyone who suspects foul play or unusual account activity should contact their bank immediately, and only through its dedicated official channels: verified customer care lines, official websites, mobile applications or branches.
As governments and corporations worldwide race to shore up their digital defences, the message from the Nigerian banking industry is one of calm and confidence: the system is safe, deposits are secure, and the institutions entrusted with the nation’s savings remain watchful and prepared.