Steve Cooper has been sacked as manager of Leicester City after five months in charge at the King Power Stadium.
Cooper, 44, departs following Leicester’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, which leaves the club 16th in the Premier League table having taken 10 points from their opening 12 games.
A club statement confirming Cooper’s dismissal on Sunday said: “Leicester City Football Club has parted company with Steve Cooper, who leaves his position as first team manager with immediate effect.
“Assistant manager Alan Tate and first team coach and analyst Steve Rands have also left the club. Steve, Alan and Steve depart with our thanks for their contribution during their time with the club and with our best wishes for the future.
“Men’s first team training will be overseen by first team coach Ben Dawson, supported by coaches Danny Alcock and Andy Hughes, as the club begins the process of appointing a new manager, which we hope to conclude as soon as possible.”
Cooper joined the club in the summer as Enzo Maresca’s replacement after the Italian coach had led Leicester to Premier League promotion as Championship winners.
Before succeeding Maresca, Cooper had been out of work since leaving Nottingham Forest following a two-year stint in charge at the City Ground.
Prior to that, he led England Under-17s to victory at the 2017 World Cup before taking charge at Swansea City, guiding the Welsh club to the Championship play-off final in 2021 where they lost to Thomas Frank’s Brentford.
He becomes the second managerial casualty of the season after Manchester United parted ways with Erik ten Hag last month.
Leicester, two points off the relegation places, return to action away at Brentford next Saturday.
(Julian Finney/Getty Images)
