Leicester City Part Ways with Head Coach Steve Cooper After Disappointing Start
Leicester City Football Club has announced the dismissal of head coach Steve Cooper following a disappointing start to the Premier League season. After just 12 matches in charge, the team finds itself languishing in 16th position, perilously close to the relegation zone, with only two points separating them from the bottom three.
In an official statement, the club confirmed, “Leicester City Football Club has mutually agreed to part ways with Steve Cooper, who has left his role as First Team Manager effective immediately. Alongside him, Assistant Manager Alan Tate and First Team Coach and Analyst Steve Rands will also exit the Club. We thank them for their contributions and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”
First Team Coach Ben Dawson will take over training duties temporarily, supported by fellow coaches Danny Alcock and Andy Hughes, as the club embarks on the search for a new manager, which they aim to complete promptly.
At 44 years old, Cooper’s appointment in June to succeed Enzo Maresca was met with skepticism from fans, particularly due to his previous association with local rivals Nottingham Forest. Under Cooper’s guidance, Leicester managed to secure only two wins from their initial twelve league games, leaving the team precariously above the drop zone.
The final nail in the coffin came during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, marking Maresca’s return to the King Power Stadium. Despite early victories over Bournemouth and relegation rivals Southampton, a winless streak of five matches—including a League Cup loss to Manchester United—put significant pressure on Cooper’s position.
Cooper’s coaching journey began within the youth teams of the England national setup before he spent two years at Swansea. He gained prominence at Nottingham Forest, leading the club back to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years. However, this success seemed to work against him among some Leicester supporters, who voiced their discontent even before his first match against Tottenham.
With Cooper’s departure, he becomes the second manager to be sacked this Premier League season, following the recent dismissal of Erik ten Hag from Manchester United.
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