Felix Magath has become the third manager to have been sacked by Fulham in less than a year.
With Fulham rooted to the bottom of the Championship with just one point from a possible 21, following relegation from the Premier League, Magath followed Martin Jol and Rene Meulensteen in being forced out by chairman Shahid Khan.
Kit Symons, Fulham’s Under-21s manager, has been named as caretaker manager and could be considered for the permanent post, along with Steve Clarke, Tim Sherwood and Chris Hughton.
The Telegraph can reveal that one of Magath’s final acts was to ignore advice to leave for Wednesday’s game against Nottingham Forest early, resulting in Fulham arriving only 35 minutes before kick-off and narrowly avoiding a Football League fine.
Fulham released a statement that read: “Fulham chairman Shahid Khan today named Kit Symons as caretaker manager of Fulham Football Club and will personally and immediately lead a thorough search for the new first-team manager of the club.
“Symons, the under-21s manager at Fulham, replaces Felix Magath. Mr Khan today thanked Mr Magath for his efforts through the final three months of last season in the Barclays Premier League and the first seven matches this season in the Sky Bet Championship.”
Khan said: “This is an unfortunate but necessary change. I am doing what I feel is right and needed for Fulham Football Club, for today as well as tomorrow.
“I thank our supporters for standing by us during these most difficult of times on the pitch, and promise better days ahead.”
Magath’s final game proved to be the 5-3 defeat at Forest, for which he and his players arrived at the City Ground at 7.10pm for their 7.45pm kick-off and barely had time to prepare.
Fulham conceded two goals in the first 21 minutes and, despite mounting a comeback, went on to lose the game and remain bottom of the table.
Magath was forced to telephone his team in from the coach for club secretary Darren Preston to hand to the referee and Forest officials.
Football League rules state that the club captain and person in charge of the team on that day, the manager or assistant manager, are supposed to hand the team-sheet into the referee and opposition at least 60 minutes before kick-off.
Fulham just made the deadline over the telephone and the Football League has confirmed it is willing to accept the fact Preston handed in the team-sheet in the absence of Magath and captain Scott Parker.
There is work being undertaken on the roads into the City Ground and Fulham confirmed the team coach got stuck in traffic.
It is believed Magath brushed off suggestions that he and his squad should leave extra time to get to the game on time.
Magath gave his players a rare day off on Thursday, but was universally unpopular for his boot-camp regime that saw players put through three training sessions in a day and forced to go on long runs before and after pre-season games.
Source: Telegraph