LONDON: Ronald Koeman became the third Premier League managerial casualty of the season on Monday when he was sacked by Everton.
The 54-year-old Dutchman — who guided Everton to seventh in his first season in charge last term — paid the price for a desperate start to the campaign despite having spent £140million ($185mn) in the close season.
Sunday’s 5-2 humbling at home to Arsenal which saw them drop into the bottom three sealed his fate and despite taking training on Monday he received a visit from club chairman Bill Kenwright.
“Everton Football Club can confirm that Ronald Koeman has left the Club,” read the Everton statement.
“Chairman Bill Kenwright, the Board of Directors and Major Shareholder Farhad Moshiri would all like to express their gratitude to Ronald for the service he has given to the Club over the past 16 months and for guiding the Club to seventh place in last season’s Premier League.”
Koeman, who arrived at Goodison Park after a successful spell in charge of Southampton, splashed the money on the likes of Icelandic international Gylfi Sigurdsson in the summer.
However, despite also persuading former golden boy Wayne Rooney to return from Manchester United he crucially failed to replace record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku with Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud declining the chance to join them.
Koeman joins compatriot Frank de Boer — sacked by Crystal Palace after just four Premier League games — and Craig Shakespeare dismissed by Leicester last week as top-level managers to have departed this season.
Everton sack manager Ronald Koeman
Everton sack manager Ronald Koeman
Silva scores late equalizer as Dortmund grab 2-2 draw at Leipzig
- Silva then seized his moment with a left footed shot five minutes into extra time
- Dortmund remained unbeaten in their last eight away games
LEIPZIG, Germany: Fabio Silva grabbed a stoppage time equalizer as Borussia Dortmund drew 2-2 at RB Leipzig to trim Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga lead to eight points on Saturday.
Second placed Dortmund had been heading for defeat after Christoph Baumgartner scored twice from close range in the first half.
The visitors came back after the break and their hopes were revived by a Romulo own goal five minutes into the half but they were still staring at defeat as the clock ticked into an added seven minutes.
Silva then seized his moment with a left footed shot five minutes into extra time.
Dortmund remained unbeaten in their last eight away games but their six match winning run came to an end at the Red Bull Arena.
Max Beir had looked like putting them ahead when he broke clear and went one-on-one on goal for Dortmund after eight minutes, but his shot was straight at goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt, and then Leipzig took control.
Baumgartner made the breakthrough in the 20th minute when Yan Diomande, in sparkling form, sent a low cross into the box for him to glance in right-footed with his back to the net.
The goal was given after an offside check.
Baumgartner took his 10th goal of the season and doubled his tally in the 39th with a perfectly timed run to tap in a cross from David Raum as the hosts ripped Dortmund apart down the left.
Leipzig, with just one win from their last six outings, stayed fifth in the standings, one point behind VfB Stuttgart who have a game in hand.
Harry Kane struck his eighth brace of the season as Bayern beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 in an earlier kickoff. Dortmund host Bayern next week.
