After a week of celebrations, there were a couple more parties to go. - but Blackburn had not read the celebration script and won 2-0 at the King Power Stadium.
Sammie Szmodics’ second-half double ensured Blackburn’s Championship survival, not that the hosts seemed that bothered. The game was still a chance for supporters to say goodbye to one of the two remaining 2016 Premier League title winners, Marc Albrighton, who came on as a second-half substitute. His contract is up this summer and is unlikely to be renewed.
Jamie Vardy is also out of contract but could yet be offered a new deal at the age of 37.
Leicester fans unveiled a pre-match banner in tribute to Vardy’s contribution since joining the club, and he was given a standing ovation when he was substituted in the second half.
We were live at the King Power Stadium to bring you updates, analysis and reaction. You can recap on an emotional day below...
Does loss take gloss off the title win?
EM: “If you see Birmingham, they won, Plymouth, they won, Sheffield Wednesday, they won, Blackburn, they won. When you play to survive and the other team doesn’t play… But I think we competed. The best way to respect the opposition is to compete. We tried to compete. We tried to do something new to see for the future. The good thing about this team is that we played 53 games and we competed in all the games. This is good. Sometimes you can lose, sometimes you win, but the important thing is to compete."
Holiday?
EM: “Now we have three days holiday with the chairman, he invited us for three days. After, everything is finished ans we can think aout the future. I will be with the family for two or three weeks holiday."
Change to defensive shape?
EM: “I’m thinking already about the future. Today’s game was important because games are always important. But it’s good to start to think how we could improve next season. Hamza could be an option there, Wout could be an option, Wilf could also be an option to do that kind of job. Today is finished, we can relax and start to think about next season."
Albrighton's final game. What can you say about him?
EM: "For me, it has been an honour [Albrighton]. I'm very proud because he works fantastic every day, very professional. He helps a lot outside of the pitch and inside the pitch when I give him minutes. I just said, the bad part of my job is that I can't be fair with all the players. With Marc, he deserves everything but because of Stephy and Abdul, he's struggled a bit. If we are where we are it's because of him, Conor and all of them."
Making a habit of winning trophies?
EM: "Fantastic feeling. I said before the game to the players, yes the game is important, but you enjoy the moment because in our lives as a footballer and manager, most of the time you're not going to win and when you do win, you have to enjoy it. Enjoy today with family and friends."
Feeling of today?
EM: "The best feeling. Less than one year ago, the same people were sad, some of them were crying. Today we made them happy and this is the reason I work every day and wake up every day, to see people enjoy days like today."
We've spoken to Maresca
We've been pitchside chatting to players and the manager, but we've finally got hold of Maresca and can bring you some quotes. Stay tuned.
Trio lift title together
Vardy gets co-captains Albrighton and Ricardo to life the trophy with him as the confetti cannons fire. There are going to be some great pictures from this.
Here comes Vardy to lift the trophy
The flames are going and the squad are bouncing on the stage as Vardy makes his way over.
"10 more years, Jamie Vardy!" is the chant.
Dewsbury-Hall on crutches
Dewsbury-Hall emerges with a protective boot on his right foot and with the use of crutches. We'll find out how serious that is after the game.
Now come the manager and players
It's Maresca and Caballero, then Walker and Di Bernadin. And now the squad are coming out in pairs. They're given a guard of honour by the rest of the staff. Albrightin is soaking it all up as the fans chant his name.
Boos for EFL officials
Out come EFL chairman Rick Parry and chief executive Trevor Birch, who are booed by the City fans.
You may remember Birch tried to get the Premier League to fasttrack City's PSR case so he could apply a points deduction to them this season, only to be told by his own lawyers he couldn't.
Trophy proceedings under way
The chairman is first out of the tunnel, and now here comes the Birch with the trophy. The stadium is stilll packed.
Just waiting on the players
The stage is set, the photographers are in place and the players' families have made their way onto the pitch. Now we just need the squad.
While we wait, you can read our ratings from the final game here.
Full-time: City 0-2 Blackburn
Rovers are staying up. City's season ends on a whimper.
We'll have reaction from the manager in a while, but first, we've got the trophy lift in around 20 minutes time.
Goal. Szmodics again
That's that.
Yunus goes down easily. The referee doesn't buy that he was fouled. And Blackburn streak away, Szmodics rounding Hermansen who had sprinted out of his goal, the Rovers man celebrating before he tapped in.
Six minutes added
Will we get a goal? It's all City, but we've not had a chance in a while.
Ricardo heads at Pears
McAteer has made a difference since he came on and his deliveries from the left, and with his weaker left foot, have caused problems. His latest ball finds Ricardo free, but he heads straight at Pears. Five minutes to go.
Off the bar!
That's a tremendous save by Pears.
McAteer crosses, and Albrighton and Ricardo combine to bring it down, the latter poking the ball back to Winks. He fires in first time with his left foot, but Pears gets a fingertip to it to turn it onto the bar.
Triple sub for City
It's Doyle for Justin, McAteer for Mavididi and Iheanacho for Vardy.
Vardy goes off to huge applause and while he took it all in, it didn't seem like he was saying goodbye.
Iheanacho is on for what could be his final appearance for the club.
City trying to get back on level terms
City are now pushing for the equaliser. One teasing cross was headed onto the roof of the net by Albrighton and now a scramble caused by Ndidi's ball in sees Pickering block near the goal-line as Ricardo tried to force it in.
And now Mavididi has fired over from inside the area.
Goal. Szmodics scores
And the Blackburn fans go wild. They know they're probably now staying up.
From a City perspective, it's poor. It's a high ball out and Szmodics outmuscles Vestergaard, despite the foot difference in their height. The Dane dangles a leg at the ball, but only flicks it on for Szmodics, who then runs with the ball off the left wing, into the box and slots into the corner.
A City goal and Blackburn are down
Birmingham have just scored, and with Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday ahead too, a Leicester goal here will send Blackburn into the relegation zone.
The Rovers fans are trying to get a response from their team.
Meanwhile, Yunus is on for Choudhury and the City defence resets. It's now Justin at left-back, Faes in the middle and Ricardo at right-back.
Justin fortunate to stay on
Justin has just gone through Dolan late and off the ground, and in the Premier League with VAR, he'd probably be walking back to the dressing room now. Here, he's only booked.
Albrighton's immediate impact
It didn't take long for Albrighton to show what he could do. He beat his man all ends up and then delivered a devilish cross that Ndidi almost got on to. It would be great to see one more brilliant Albrighton cross converted here.
Albrighton on for possible final appearance
Here comes Albrighton for what might be his final appearance in a City shirt.
There are huge cheers here. And Vardy has handed him the armband. This feels very much like a farewell.
Fatawu goes off, and Albrighton will be tasked with bringing this game to life. The second half has been as bland as the first so far, albeit Ricardo did nearly get on the end of a teasing Mavididi cross.
How the land lies
As things stand, Ipswich are heading up in second with the Tractor Boys beating Huddersfield. It doesn't matter too much at the moment anyway, as Leeds are losing to Southampton.
In the play-off race, Hull are losing to Plymouth, meaning Norwich and West Brom, both drawing, are still fifth and sixth.
With Plymouth winning and Sheffield Wednesday beating Sunderland too, that moves Blackburn down two places, but a draw is enough for them whatever. Right now, Birmingham are going down. They need to find a goal against Norwich and hope Plymouth concede to Hull, Wednesday let in two, or Blackburn concede here.
Half-time: City 0-0 Blackburn
That was about as bland a half of football as we have seen this season. City haven't been bad, but neither have they been very good.
As for chances, Blackburn had a flurry in the first five minutes, but City have shut them down since then. At the other end, City's best two opportunities came in the space of a few minutes as Fatawu's shot was saved by Pears before Vardy dinked into the side-netting.
Maresca as intense as ever
While there's an end-of-season feel to the game, Maresca seems as intense as ever on the touchline. He was visibly frustrated when Winks went backwards rather than turning out about five minutes ago, while he's just spent the past couple of minutes crouching down, keeping a keen eye on every single pass.
As for chances, we had a Vestergaard header from a corner, but he didn't get enough purchase on it. And now Justin's fired one well wide from 25 yards.
