Leicester City is set to appoint Ruud van Nistelrooy as their new manager, replacing Steve Cooper, who was dismissed after a brief 157-day tenure. Cooper’s departure followed a 2-1 Premier League defeat to Chelsea last Saturday, leaving Leicester teetering just one point above the relegation zone in 16th place.
Van Nistelrooy, 48, steps into the role just weeks after leaving Manchester United, where he served as interim head coach following Erik ten Hag’s exit. Despite overseeing a promising run of three wins and a draw during his short stint, the Dutchman departed after learning he would not be retained under new United manager Ruben Amorim.
Interestingly, two of Van Nistelrooy’s victories at United came against Leicester—a commanding 5-2 win in the Carabao Cup last 16 and a comfortable 3-0 Premier League triumph earlier this month.
The former Netherlands striker’s managerial experience includes a season in charge of PSV Eindhoven in 2022-23, where he led the team to victory in the Dutch Cup. He joined Manchester United as an assistant coach in July before stepping into the interim head coach role.
Leicester will hope Van Nistelrooy can reinvigorate a squad that struggled under Cooper. Despite support from senior players like Jamie Vardy, Cooper’s methods failed to resonate with the entire team, contributing to his dismissal.
Caretaker manager Ben Dawson, part of Cooper’s coaching staff, is expected to lead Leicester in their upcoming Premier League clash against Brentford this Saturday, as Van Nistelrooy’s appointment might not be finalized in time for him to take charge.
The Foxes, who replaced Enzo Maresca with Cooper this summer, are now turning to Van Nistelrooy to steer them away from relegation danger and deliver stability after a turbulent start to the season.
SOURCE: BBC
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