Leicester's top flight promotion party is set for a nasty hangover as points deductions and player sales loom... but Enzo Maresca deserves huge credit for reviving their spirit

Even the sweetest champagne can cause a painful hangover and despite regaining their Premier League status, Leicester City may all too soon experience the morning after the night before.

A season that could end with 100 points and the Championship title is cause for much celebration, but the problem is that the euphoria may not last too long.

In his first management job in English football, Enzo Maresca has delivered on the brief he accepted last summer and there will be a party atmosphere for the final two fixtures against Preston and Blackburn.

After promotion was confirmed by Leeds' 4-0 defeat at QPR on Friday, there was an impromptu knees-up at Maresca's home for several players and members of the Italian's coaching staff.

Others gathered at Hamza Choudhury's place. They still reported for training on Saturday and the squad and coaching team enjoyed a celebratory breakfast before starting the session.

But the Foxes risk a hefty points deduction after being charged with breaking spending rules and that could have a significant impact on their Premier League campaign before it has even begun.

They recorded losses of nearly £90million in 2022-23. When Leicester's wage bill was similar to the club's turnover but did not deliver Champions League football in 2020 or 2021, the damage was done.

Had they failed to win promotion this season, a similar penalty may have been imposed in the Championship and the consequences of that do not bear thinking about.

Leicester have seen the financial turmoil that engulfed other Midlands clubs like Derby and West Brom in recent seasons and returning to the top flight immediately should, at least, allow them to avoid such a scenario.

To reduce the chance of further punishment by the Premier League, players are likely to be sold this summer, with key midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall attracting interest from Brighton, Fulham and Brentford.

He is valued at about £30m and as a homegrown player, the 25-year-old's transfer fee could be added to the balance sheet as pure profit — crucial for staying within profitability and sustainability regulations. Fellow youth products like Choudhury, Sammy Braybrooke and Ben Nelson could also raise vital funds if they were sold, much as it would upset supporters to see local lads leave.

High earners like Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi are likely to leave on free transfers. Leicester are keen to retain Jannik Vestergaard and Jamie Vardy but both may have to accept reduced terms — though there is cautious optimism that Vardy, arguably the greatest player in the history of the club, will extend his stay beyond his 38th birthday.

Vardy has no plans to retire and believes he can continue beyond his 40th year. Supporters have planned a tribute to the forward at the club's final game of the season, at home to Blackburn, on May 4.

Though his powers are waning, Vardy has 18 goals in 35 games this season and his presence alone makes him worth keeping.

With long-serving Marc Albrighton set to wave goodbye to the club this summer, Vardy will be the sole survivor from that remarkable 2016 Premier League title triumph. 

Maresca deserves a lot of credit for promotion. His devotion to 'the idea' — the style of football showcased by the Dutch in the 1970s and carried forward by Pep Guardiola — can sound a little pompous at times, but Guardiola's former assistant has not had it easy.

Though Leicester might have had the best players and highest wage bill in the Championship, the mentality of the squad relegated from the Premier League was flaky in the extreme. Team spirit had drifted to the extent that players barely spent time together at the club's vast training base, with communal areas left unused.

When Maresca arrived, he informed the squad to forget their Premier League past. Players who had wanted to leave, such as Vestergaard and Ndidi, knocked on Maresca's door to say they had changed their minds and wanted to be part of it. Both have been vital to this season's triumph.

When Leicester wobbled and saw a 14-point gap to third place cut to one, supporters' frustration with the slow, micro-managed passing game grew louder. In the end, it was Leeds who lost their nerve and form and Leicester were able to cruise over the line — but the hard work starts now.

Maresca believes 'the idea' will make Leicester better equipped to handle the Premier League, although with little spending power he may need to make tweaks. Top-flight attackers will be queueing up to face a defensive line as one-paced as Vestergaard and Wout Faes.

Much as it goes against Maresca's principles, Leicester are hugely effective on the counter-attack, thanks to the pace of Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu and the perceptive passing of Ricardo Pereira and Harry Winks.

Guardiola may have used broadly the same approach across his career, but he has always worked with many of the world's finest players. Most of his colleagues do not have that luxury and must use their resources accordingly. Will Maresca be cute enough to realise that?

Leicester insiders believe that the adversity this season will stand the team in good stead for what comes next.

Yet heading into the summer there are plenty of unknowns and clear communication is vital. Two years ago, boss Brendan Rodgers believed he would have funds to refresh his squad, only to be told at the start of pre-season that they were not available after all.

That tension with the club's ownership cast a cloud over the entire campaign and to avoid any repeat, Leicester must be straight with Maresca on financial matters.

Just as the Italian manager must learn from his mistakes this term, so must the executive team learn from theirs in 2022.

If they do not, the glow of this season's achievements will rapidly start to fade.