Craig Shakespeare’s short reign as Leicester City manager was brought to an end on Tuesday when the Premier League club confirmed he had been sacked after four months in permanent charge.
The 53-year-old, assistant manager to Claudio Ranieri when Leicester stunned the sporting world to win the 2015-16 Premier League title, assumed a caretaker role in February after Italian Ranieri was sacked with the club in the relegation zone.
Shakespeare inspired a quick turnaround in fortunes, leading the club to safety and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and was rewarded with the permanent job in June.
Since Ranieri’s exit Leicester have taken 29 points, behind only Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Yet with only one win in their opening eight games this season, Leicester find themselves back in the same position they occupied when Shakespeare first took up the reins — in the bottom three.
In a statement on the club’s website vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha thanked Shakespeare for his service with the club but said a change was needed.
Shakespeare had been part of Leicester’s coaching set-up since 2011 and was widely credited as the tactical mastermind behind the title-winning side. He was also popular with the players.
