Reports: Leicester sacks manager Shakespeare
Leicester City manager Craig Shakespeare is seen before their English Premier League match against West Bromwich Albion at King Power Stadium, Leicester, on October 16, 2017. Following the 1-1 draw, Shakespeare was sacked on October 17, 2017.
Leicester City sacked Craig Shakespeare on Tuesday, just four months after handing him a permanent contract to manage the former English Premier League champion, British media reported.
Shakespeare, 53, was promoted from his role as assistant coach on an interim basis following the shock dismissal of Claudio Ranieri in February and in June he was handed a three-year contract.
But the 2015-16 champion has struggled this season and is third from bottom of the table with a single league win.
Monday night's 1-1 home draw with West Bromwich Albion saw Leicester's winless EPL run reach six matches — the same as when Italian Ranieri was sacked.
Shakespeare's appointment earlier this year sparked a striking upturn in form that saw Leicester secure its EPL status and reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
Reacting to Tuesday's development, former Leicester and England player Gary Lineker tweeted: "Was always a miracle, but it’s even more remarkable really that Leicester won the league given the ineptitude of those that run the club."
Shakespeare had no previous managerial experience when he stepped into the hotseat following Ranieri's dismissal, which came with Leicester a point above the relegation zone.
But he inspired the team to five straight league wins and it finished the season in a respectable 12th place.
Shakespeare was given around 60 million pounds (US$79 million) to spend on players in the summer transfer window and splashed out on striker Kelechi Iheanacho, Harry Maguire and Vicente Iborra, but Leicester's only EPL win came against newly promoted Brighton and Hove Albion in August.
Its only other points have been picked up in draws against Huddersfield, Bournemouth and West Brom while Shakespeare oversaw wins against Sheffield United and Liverpool in the League Cup.
He is the second managerial casualty of the EPL season following the dismissal of Frank de Boer from the Crystal Palace job. De Boer was succeeded by former England manager Roy Hodgson, who oversaw the club’s first win of the season on Saturday when Palace stunned EPL champion Chelsea at Selhurst Park.
