EX-Saints veteran defender defender Garry Monk has taken joint charge of the Swansea first team after the club tonight ‘parted company’ with manager Michael Laudrup.
Vetrean defender Monk, who played for Saints between 1996 and 2004, and first-team coach Alan Curtis are to take charge of first-team affairs, the Barclays Premier League club have announced.
It had been understood that Monk, 34, who has not played since September after undergoing knee surgery, was being lined up for a coaching position.
He and Curtis have now been put in charge for the ''foreseeable future''.
Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins said: “It is a decision we have taken reluctantly, 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.
Jenkins said: “I hope all our supporters can fully understand how difficult this period has been for us and I would urge everyone connected to the football club to get behind Garry Monk, the staff and players.”
Laudrup had been under increasing pressure with the team winning just one of their last 10 league matches.
Laudrup's relationship with the club had reportedly been strained since a disagreement last summer.
The Dane's reputation was high at that point having guided the club to success in the Capital One Cup.
He was linked with other positions but stayed on at the Liberty Stadium.
Form on the field, however, appeared to desert him and the Welsh club are now facing the prospect of a relegation battle.
Laudrup, the former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Denmark midfielder, was appointed in the summer of 2012 having previously managed at Brondby, Getafe, Spartak Moscow and Real Mallorca.
He initially carried on the good work of Brendan Rodgers, who oversaw promotion and took the club to 11th in the Premier League before leaving for Liverpool.
Laudrup’s departure comes four days before the club take on arch-rivals and fellow strugglers Cardiff in a crucial derby at the Liberty Stadium.
Swansea are 12th in the table but their position is a precarious one as they are just two points above the bottom three.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here