Leicester City have parted ways with manager Steve Cooper after just 12 games of the new season due to a poor string of results.
This follows the Premier League club’s 2-1 loss to Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.
The newly-promoted Foxes appointed former Swansea and Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper as Enzo Maresca’s successor in the summer, after Maresca departed for Stamford Bridge.
Leicester currently sit 16th in the Premier League, just two points above the relegation zone. However, they have gone four league matches without a win since defeating bottom-placed Southampton in October.
During this period, Leicester have suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Forest, a 1-1 draw away against ten-man Ipswich, a heavy 3-0 loss to Manchester United away, and a 5-2 defeat to United in the League Cup.
Despite a respectable goal-scoring record, defensive weaknesses have plagued Leicester this season, with their sole Premier League clean sheet coming in a narrow 1-0 win over Bournemouth last month.
Saturday’s loss to Chelsea proved to be the tipping point, as Leicester confirmed Cooper’s dismissal on Sunday afternoon.
A club statement 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.”
Leicester will visit Brentford next weekend before hosting West Ham and then Brighton.
Maresca led Leicester to an immediate return from the Championship as league winners last season, claiming 97 points and dominating the table for much of the campaign.
Cooper was appointed in June having been out of work since being dismissed by Forest last December, to be replaced by Nuno Espirito Santo.
A former England U16s and U17s manager, Cooper took his first steps in club management with Swansea City in 2019 but left the club two years later after losing the Championship play-off final to Brentford. He subsequently took Forest up into the Premier League via the play-offs the following year, beating Huddersfield Town 1-0 in the final.