Sports

Fulham sack Slavisa Jokanovic and replace him with Claudio Ranieri

214

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Former Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri reacts following the Premier League match between Leicester City and Burnley FC at The King Power Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images) — Claudio Ranieri is the new boss at Fulham (Getty Images)

Fulham have sacked Slavisa Jokanovic and have replaced him with Claudio Ranieri.

Ranieri, who guided Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2016, has been out of work since he left French club Nantes at the end of last season.

Fulham, meanwhile, have been a run of seven consecutive defeats in all competitions under Jokanovic, who guided the club to the Premier League after beating Aston Villa in the play-offs last term.

It is an honour to accept Mr. Khans invitation and opportunity to lead Fulham, a fantastic club with tradition and history, said Ranieri.

The objective at Fulham should never be to merely survive in the Premier League.

EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists (outside the EU), club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images (+15 in extra time). No use to emulate moving images. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications/services. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Kieran McManus/BPI/REX (9973542bg) Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic Liverpool v Fulham, Premier League, Football, Anfield, Liverpool, UK - 11 Nov 2018 — Slavisa Jokanovic is the first manager to be sacked in the Premier League this season (BPI/REX)

We must at all times be a difficult opponent and should expect to succeed.

Advertisement Advertisement

This Fulham squad has exceptional talent that is contrary to its position in the table.

I know this team is very capable of better performances, which we will work on straight away as we prepare for Southampton at the Cottage.

More: Football

Fulham owner Shahid Khan has also described Ranieri as a risk-free appointment.

Making a change without having the right answer or succession plan was not an option, so having someone of Claudios calibre ready to accept our challenge was comforting but, most of all, essential, said Khan.

Claudio is risk-free and ready-made for the Premier League, and particularly so for what we need at this moment at Fulham.

His recent body of work with Leicester City is literally legendary, and then you look at Claudios experience with Chelsea and big clubs throughout Europe, and its pretty evident we are welcoming an extraordinary football man to Fulham Football Club.