Michael Laudrup sacked by Swansea

Swansea City sacked Michael Laudrup after losing faith with the Dane's ability to galvanise an increasingly disillusioned group of players and avoid relegation from the Premier League. 

Garry Monk, the club captain, has been placed in charge for "the foreseeable future" and will get his first taste of management in the south Wales derby at the Liberty Stadium against Cardiff City on Saturday.

Laudrup's departure was announced after Huw Jenkins, the Swansea chairman, held crisis talks with the man who had led the club to the first major trophy in their history only 12 months ago, when they beat Bradford City 5-0 to win the League Cup at Wembley.

Swansea have won only one of their last 10 Premier League matches, although the reasons for Laudrup's abrupt dismissal, which is expected to cost the club in excess of £3m in compensation, run much deeper than the results.

Relations between Laudrup and the club have never been the same since ties were severed with the manager's agent in the summer, after Swansea became frustrated with Bayram Tutumlu's growing influence on outgoing as well as incoming transfers.

Although Laudrup and Jenkins vowed to put that episode behind them, it was clear that the two men were no longer singing from the same hymn sheet. In an interview with the Observer in November Jenkins outlined how unhappy he was with the mentality among some staff and players, whom he accused of adopting a defeatist approach against the better teams in the league. Laudrup was never mentioned by name but it was clear, from the language Jenkins used, that he was referring in part to the manager.

“It is a decision we have taken reluctantly,” Jenkins told the club’s website. “But it’s a decision made in the best interests of Swansea City football club and our supporters.

“It is the first time in nearly 10 years that the club has parted with a manager in this way, but we had to remove the constant uncertainty surrounding the club and Michael’s long-term future with us.

“I had a meeting with Michael today in a final attempt to support him and establish a way to improve the work of the backroom team to secure the results we need over the final 14 Premier League games.

“However, after thinking long and hard about the best way forward, I felt it was unlikely we would achieve a stable environment at the club to allow us to get back to basics and produce the performance levels that have served Swansea City so well over the last few years.

“Now we need to put that uncertainty behind us and move forward as a united football club on all fronts, while placing on record our gratitude to Michael for the work he has done over the last 18 months and wish him well for the future.”

The club won the Capital One Cup in Laudrup’s only full season while also finishing in ninth position in the league, Swansea’s highest-ever finish in their long history.