Puel sacked as Leicester boss, Rodgers linked to the job
Leicester City announced the sacking of manager Claude Puel yesterday, following the struggling English Premier League side's 4-1 loss to Crystal Palace yesterday morning (Singapore time).
The 2016 champions have dropped to 12th after a poor run, only eight points above the relegation zone.
Puel's assistant manager Jacky Bonnevay has also been released. First-team coaches Mike Stowell and Adam Sadler will assume caretaking responsibilities.
In a statement, the club thanked Puel for his efforts during his 16 months in the role and wished him well in his future career.
Puel , 57, is the fifth English top-flight manager to be sacked this season, following Slavisa Jokanovic (Fulham), Mark Hughes (Southampton), Jose Mourinho (Manchester United) and David Wagner (Huddersfield Town).
The Foxes' miserable run includes a defeat by League Two side Newport in the FA Cup.
Their dip in form followed a promising period over Christmas when they beat both Chelsea and Manchester City, their last home success on Boxing Day. Their last win was on New Year's Day, with Jamie Vardy scoring in a 1-0 victory at Everton.
Yesterday's game, which also saw Palace boss Roy Hodgson, 71, surpass the late Sir Bobby Robson as the oldest EPL manager, was Leicester's sixth defeat in seven games.
The Midlands side have endured a traumatic season with the death of owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others in a helicopter crash outside the club's King Power Stadium in October.
Puel took over from Craig Shakespeare at Leicester in October 2017 after a year-long spell in charge of Southampton.
The Frenchman eventually led the side to a ninth-placed finish in the EPL, but came under fire from fans recently over his use of Vardy, who publicly questioned his manager's tactics and training regimen.
Celtic manager and former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is reported to be among the front-runners to replace Puel in the summer, with the club set to install an interim manager for the rest of the season. - AFP
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