Leicester City have sacked manager Steve Cooper with the club 16th in the Premier League after 12 games.
The Foxes were beaten 2-1 by a Chelsea side managed by former boss Enzo Maresca on Saturday – a defeat which left them two points above the relegation zone.
Cooper took over from Maresca in the summer after the Italian had led Leicester to the 2023-24 Championship title and promotion back into the Premier League.
“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,” said a Leicester statement.
Assistant manager Alan Tate and first-team coach and analyst Steve Rands have also left the club, whose next game is away at Brentford on Saturday, 30 November.
The defeat by Chelsea was Leicester’s sixth in the top flight this season and, afterwards, Cooper was critical of referee Andrew Madley’s performance in the game.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he also said: “I knew how tough the challenge of the season was going to be both on and off the pitch and it’s proving to be that but that’s just how it is coming back into the league.
“I believe we can do better so that’s got to come in the performances to get the results.”
He is the second manager to be sacked in the Premier League this season following Manchester United parting company with Erik ten Hag in October.
Former Leicester keeper Mark Schwarzer said he was “a little bit surprised” by Cooper’s departure.
“Leicester is not known for being a club that will sack managers quickly,” the Australian told BBC Radio 5 Live. “They are not known to panic.
“At times some would say that perhaps they have held on too long to some managers.
“You did hear after the last few games that Cooper was pointing his finger a lot at the officials for decisions that had gone against Leicester and perhaps cost them.”
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said that he “cannot believe” Cooper has been sacked.
He added: “I think they have had a reasonable start to the season, they are not in the relegation zone.
“The three promoted sides last season went straight back down. I think that decision is really harsh.”
Cooper took over at Leicester following a stint in charge at Nottingham Forest, who sacked him in December 2023.
The 44-year-old guided Forest to promotion into the top flight in 2022 and, after having kept them in the division the following season, he was dismissed midway through 2023-24 with the club in 17th spot.
Cooper, who guided England’s Under-17s to victory at the 2017 World Cup, also had a two-year spell in charge of Swansea, taking them to the Championship play-off final in 2021 where they lost to Brentford.
Who could be next?
Schwarzer says the “name that jumps” out at him about who could succeed Cooper is former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter.
Potter, who is believed to have held talks with the Foxes before they decided on Cooper, has been out of work since being dismissed by Chelsea in April 2023 following less than seven months in charge of the Stamford Bridge club.
“Would he be interested in taking on a team and club like Leicester? Why not? I think he would do a fantastic job,” said Schwarzer.
Former West Ham boss David Moyes and Ruud van Nistelrooy could also come into contention.
Moyes left West Ham at the end of last season, while Van Nisterooy – who took interim charge of Manchester United following Ten Hag’s exit – recently left the Old Trafford club after Ruben Amorim’s appointment.
“We saw the job he [Van Nistelrooy] did at Manchester United, taking over at one of their lowest points of the season when they had just lost their manager.
“Van Nistelrooy took over and steadied the ship. Three wins and one draw during his time in charge.
“David Moyes has had a phenomenal career and has been underrated and underappreciated at times. Would he fit in at Leicester? Only they would know.
“But, for me, the first name that you would look at is Graham Potter. The style they have been playing in recent seasons will suit him and he would have every opportunity to build a very good team there.”
The stats that ultimately cost Cooper
Leicester had little trouble scoring on their return to the Premier League, having managed at least one goal in each of their first 10 league games.
But they had just two wins to show for it, with defensive struggles nullifying their proficiency at the other end.
Leicester have conceded 23 times – the third highest in the league behind Wolverhampton Wanderers (28) and Southampton (24).
They have also conceded the opening goal in 10 of their 12 Premier League matches this season, a league high.
They have also allowed the second highest amount of opposition shots in the league and, despite their good scoring run at the start of the season, have had the second fewest amount of shots in the top flight, behind Ipswich.
What do Leicester fans think of Cooper sacking?
We asked Leicester fans for their reaction to Cooper’s sacking and this is what they said:
Roobs07: Wasn’t up to the task and team selections were based on defensiveness without defenders of the calibre to do so. Interim manager outlook and could not get the best out of any players. Attacking players left out of selection or played late second half. Never a positive outlook.
Stephen: Cooper might feel hard done by as I’m not sure our squad has the quality to be too much higher but he was failing to inspire the fans and players alike [from what we could tell].
Danny: Strange decision but probably not the right appointment to begin with after becoming a Nottingham Forest legend. His CV speaks for itself. Sad he wasn’t given time to prove himself again.
Barry: I think Cooper has been a scapegoat for the owner and shoddy recruitment. Cooper had a mountain to climb. Maresca would have failed in the same manner.
Nigel: It was a bad error in appointing him in the first place. The fans were always going to struggle accepting a former Forest manager. This was an accident waiting to happen.
Tony: I see we are still trotting out the same old names like Graham Potter and David Moyes. While they could probably do a decent job we need to take a chance on somebody who can excite the fans and the team. Look what Maresca did last season. Now let’s give Ruud Van Nistelrooy a chance.
