Ibrahim Oladamola
Sam Allardyce has been appointed Leeds boss until the end of the season after the club sacked head coach Javi Gracia following just two-and-a-half months in charge.
Former England manager Allardyce, who has been out of work since leaving West Brom in May 2021, makes a shock return to football to try and save Leeds from Premier League relegation with only four games of the season remaining.
The 68-year-old faces a daunting run-in that includes a visit to leaders Manchester City, live on , then home games against Newcastle and Tottenham as well as a trip to West Ham.
Allardyce, who previously rescued Sunderland and Crystal Palace from potential relegation, becomes the club’s fourth head coach of the season and will hold a press conference on Wednesday at 4pm.
Gracia leaves the club after just 12 games in charge. Zigor Aranalde, Mikel Antia and Juan Solla, who joined alongside Gracia, have also departed.
A club statement reads: “Allardyce has managed over 500 Premier League games in a managerial career stretching 29 years and he brings a wealth of knowledge in fighting for survival, having guided a number of his previous clubs to safety.
Robbie Keane is also expected to join Allardyce’s backroom team. Gracia has released a statement following his departure.
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“I’m grateful for this opportunity and proud of the team, both players and coaching staff. That’s how I would like to summarise my time at Leeds United. I would have preferred a different moment, but the circumstances have changed.
“We arrived on a short three-month contract. And we did it because we believed in this team. We considered our chances and had confidence. And we know it is possible. We are not talking about miracles, but about the efficient result of a well done work and a process of improvement.
“The team is out of the relegation zone and with a good chance of achieving the objective. It has been a very intense period for many reasons. A busy schedule, injuries and a young but skilled team. However, we managed to position ourselves better than our rivals and this is shown by the results.
“Compared to our direct rivals and since we were hired, we are the team with the most points – eleven in total – compared to our main competitors. I am confident that the team will achieve its objective.”
