Former Manchester United Interim Coach Becomes Leicester City Manager

Ruud van Nistelrooy will soon be inaugurated as manager of Leicester City (Instagram/@rvnistelrooij).

JAKARTA - Leicester City will soon inaugurate the appointment of former interim Manchester United coach, Ruud van Nistelrooy as new manager on Thursday, November 28, 2024.

The decision came after The Fox sacked Steve Cooper on Monday, November 25, 2024, after five months on duty.

The dismissal could not be separated from Leicester's poor journey in the lungs earlier this season.

They are ranked 16th in the Premier League standings with 10 points (two wins, five draws, and five defeats), only one point difference from the relegation zone.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will most likely soon finalize the deal considering Leicester are already playing again on Saturday, November 30, 2024, against Brentford.

Currently, Van Nistelrooy is reportedly still at his home in the Netherlands. However, his appointment as Leicester's new manager can be confirmed soon.

There are still details and contract issues that must be agreed upon. So, he hasn't signed anything yet, but there is optimism on both sides that the deal will be finalized soon.

Van Nistelrooy has been a priority even though the former Red Devils striker received a number of offers from other European clubs.

Leicester also actually has other candidates, such as former managers Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg, Niko Kovac, and current West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan.

However, the Fox decided to seriously bring in Van Nistelrooy who was preferred by supporters as well.

The decision has been taken by the owner of Leicester, Aiyawatt Shrivadhannaprabha, who has discussed with Football Director Jon Rudkin.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was appointed Manchester United's assistant manager in the summer after being unemployed since retiring as PSV coach Eindhoven before the end of the 2022/2023 season.

He became interim head coach when Erik ten Hag was sacked in October 2024. Van Nistelrooy left Manchester United unbeaten in four matches during his brief term of office.

During that period, the Red Devils even beat Leicester twice, with a score of 5-2 in the Carabao Cup and 3-0 in the Premier League.

Currently, Leicester are slumping after Enzo Maresca's death who just brought them back to the Premier League this season. Maresca moved to Chelsea in June 2024.

Former Leicester coach Martin O'Neill said Nistelrooy's job was tough.

Perception publik dan pentinggi klub berubah seiring The Fox pernah jadi juara Liga Inggris pada 2016.

O'Neill insists Nistelrooy's big task is to restore trust and gain the hearts of the public and high-ranking officials who have been missing since the arrival of Steve Cooper who replaced Maresca.

"Since 2016, many things have changed at the King Power Stadium. You are talking about a team that has won the Premier League."

"I shouldn't have said this about my former club, where I really enjoyed my time after a bad start."

"However, there may be a sense of right that after winning the league in 2016, life should be very good for them."

"They were relegated and Maresca was there to make them bounce back. He went to Chelsea. They then lived with Steve Cooper."

" Steve's solidarity with Nottingham Forest, I might rule it out. Initially, it was like I was a player at Nottingham Forest who came to Leicester."

"There was a bit of dissatisfaction and of course there was more dissatisfaction with me when I couldn't win the game to save my life at the start."

"But overall, Van Nistelrooy, he has a name. He's a great player. Why not?"

"If you look for someone now, he pushed himself into the limelight a few weeks ago and I think Leicester has decided to vote for him," O'Neill said at talkSPORT.