Leicester appoint Steve Cooper on a three-year deal as ex-Nottingham Forest boss replaces Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca – after Foxes were unconvinced by Graham Potter
- Welshman has been out of work since leaving the Tricky Trees in December
- Leicester are facing a possible points deduction after being charged last season
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Steve Cooper has been appointed as Leciester’s new manager on a three-year deal.
The Welshman has been out of work since leaving the Foxes’ East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest last December, but will oversee the newly promoted club’s Premier League campaign.
Leicester had made Graham Potter a top target and held talks, but chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha was ultimately unconvinced that the former Chelsea and Brighton boss was completely sold on the post.
Cooper has signed a contract until 2027 and will likely have to overcome immediate obstacles.
Leicester are facing a possible points deduction after being accused of breaching spending rules last season, and are likely to have to sell players this month to avoid further problems, with midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall a possible departure.
Steve Cooper was appointed head coach at newly promoted Leicester City on Thursday
The Welshman will step into the position left vacant by the departure of Enzo Maresca (center)
Although the rivalry between Forest and Leicester is not as bitter as between Forest and Derby, the cities are less than 30 miles apart and the reception for Cooper will be interesting when the sides meet at the King Power Stadium on October 26.
This will be Cooper’s second job in the top flight after leading Forest to promotion in 2022 and keeping them going the following season. He was replaced by Nuno Espirito Santo after a poor run of results, but the club were still outside the drop zone when Cooper left.
Cooper had turned down the chance to speak to Burnley and was also the main target of the Welsh FA if they sacked Rob Page, but the 44-year-old always planned to return to club football.
Leicester started looking for a manager after Enzo Maresca, who led them back to the Premier League last season, was lured away by Chelsea.
The club held discussions with Graham Potter but were not convinced of his interest in the role
Cooper finds a different club than the club that won the FA Cup in 2021 and twice came within striking distance of qualifying for the Champions League under Brendan Rodgers.
There will be little room to maneuver in the transfer market and when he arrives for the start of pre-season in early July, Cooper may find a weaker side than the one that won promotion, necessitating player sales.
But after six months away, the Welshman is focused on restarting his career and is confident he has the tools to overcome these hurdles.