Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Ranieri is axed by Fulham
catchphrase while ringing an imaginary bell was designed to keep players focused in training, lost eight of the last nine games, one of them an FA Cup tie with League Two Oldham.
The 67-year-old departs with the club 10 points from safety with 10 games to go. First-team coach Scott Parker steps in as caretaker.
Ranieri took training yesterday morning but was sacked following an afternoon board meeting which Khan joined from the USA.
Khan axed Slavisa Jokanovic as boss after a £100million spending spree saw nine defeats in the opening 12 league games of the season.
He said: “Following our discussion this afternoon, Claudio Ranieri agreed to my decision that a change was in the best interest of everyone. No surprise to me, Claudio was a perfect gentleman, as always.
“Claudio’s tenure at Fulham didn’t produce the outcome we anticipated and needed when I appointed him as manager in November, but be assured he is not solely to blame for the position we are in today.”
Ranieri guided Fulham to victory over Southampton in his first match in charge and picked up nine points from eight games,.
But his 106-day reign saw only three wins and 11 defeats. “I’m obviously disappointed with the recent results and that we could not build on the good start we made following my appointment,” he said.
Bristol City’s Lee Johnson and Steve Clarke of Kilmarnock will be contenders for the permanent job in the summer.