(Reuters) – Leeds United have sacked manager Javi Gracia and given Sam Allardyce the task of saving them from relegation this season, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
Leeds are 17th in the standings with 30 points, above 18th-placed Nottingham Forest on goal difference with four games left.
“We thank Javi and his team for their efforts under difficult circumstances. The remaining four games of the season will be overseen by experienced head coach Sam Allardyce,” Leeds said in a statement.
Gracia is the second Leeds manager to be sacked this season after they parted ways with American Jesse Marsch in February and the 14th Premier League head coach to lose his job in this campaign.
Allardyce, 68, has managed Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton in the top flight, earning a reputation for helping struggling teams to avoid relegation.
He last managed West Bromwich Albion when he took over midway through the 2020-21 season, but was unable to keep them in the top flight as they dropped down to the Championship.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru,; Editing by Gareth Jones and Ed Osmond)
