Leicester were “compelled” to sack Brendan Rodgers in a bid to maintain their Premier League status but insist his place in the club’s history is assured.
The Foxes dropped into the bottom three after Saturday’s last-gasp defeat at Crystal Palace, which extended their winless run to six games, and their position in the top flight is in real danger going into the final stretch of the season.
Rodgers, who recently celebrated four years in charge at the King Power Stadium, delivered two top-five finishes in the Premier League and the club’s first ever FA Cup success in 2021, but leaves by mutual consent.
Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha insisted that the club had “experienced some of our finest footballing moments” during Rodgers’ reign but that the board were “compelled” to make a managerial change in order to avoid being relegated to the Championship.
Srivaddhanaprabha said in a statement: “The achievements of the team under Brendan’s management speak for themselves – we’ve experienced some of our finest footballing moments under his guidance and will always be grateful to him and his staff for the heights they helped us to reach on the pitch.
“Off the pitch, Brendan embraced the culture of the Club and helped cultivate an outstanding developmental environment, particularly during the transition to Seagrave, and provided strong leadership during the unprecedented challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.
“His place in Leicester City history is assured.
“However performances and results during the current season have been below our shared expectations.
His place in Leicester City history is assured— Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha
“It had been our belief that continuity and stability would be key to correcting our course, particularly given our previous achievements under Brendan’s management.
“Regrettably, the desired improvement has not been forthcoming and, with 10 games of the season remaining, the board is compelled to take alternative action to protect our Premier League status.
“The task ahead of us in our final 10 games is clear. We now need to come together – fans, players and staff – and show the poise, quality and fight to secure our position as a Premier League club.”
Rodgers’ assistant Chris Davies and first-team fitness coach Glen Driscoll have also left.
First-team coaches Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell have been put in immediate caretaker charge, tasked with preparing the side for Tuesday’s crunch clash with Aston Villa.
Rodgers took over from Claude Puel in February 2019 and immediately set about turning the Foxes into European challengers.
They twice missed out on Champions League qualification with final-day defeats – finishing fifth in 2019/20 and 2020/21 – but Rodgers did get his side over the line in the 2021 FA Cup as the club won the famous competition for the first time in their history.
They reached their first ever European semi-final last season with a run to the last four of the inaugural Europa Conference League before losing to Roma.
But the landscape of the club changed in the summer, with financial constraints seeing a number of players leave – including star defender Wesley Fofana – and only one outfield player coming in.
They started the campaign terribly, losing six of their first seven games, before picking up form and heading towards mid-table.
However, a run of six games, including defeats against relegation rivals Southampton and Palace, proved too much and the board instigated the change.
