The 53-year-old succeeded Claudio Ranieri on a caretaker basis last season and oversaw an upturn in form that led to the club pulling away from the relegation zone and finishing 12th.Following the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Monday evening Leicester slipped into the bottom three, prompting the owners to relieve Shakespeare of his duties, with assistant Michael Appleton taking charge for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Swansea City.
Leicester’s vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha confirmed Shakespeare’s departure in a statement on Tuesday evening. “Craig has been a great servant to Leicester City – during his spells as an assistant manager and since taking over as Manager in challenging circumstances in February. His dedication to the club and to his work has been absolute and the contribution he made to the most successful period in Leicester City history is considerable.
“However, our early promise under Craig’s management has not been consistently evident in the months since and the Board feels that, regrettably, a change is necessary to keep the Club moving forward – consistent with the long-term expectations of our supporters, board and owners.
“Craig is and will remain a very popular, respected figure at Leicester City and will be welcome back at King Power Stadium in future, both professionally and as a friend of the club.”
