By Our Correspondent

English Premiership relegation strugglers, Watford FC have sacked manager Claudio Ranieri after Friday’s 3-0 defeat at home to Norwich plunged them into the relegation zone.

The Italian oversaw 13 Premier League games, losing 10, and the capitulation against their relegation rivals proved the final straw for Watford’s board.

Ranieri, 70, was appointed on October 4, succeeding popular Spaniard Xisco Munoz who steered the Hornets to promotion last season.

The former Leicester and Chelsea boss lost his first game 5-0 at home to Liverpool before picking up statement wins over Everton and Manchester United.

But despite improving Watford’s attack, the former Premier League winner failed to tighten up a porous defence that has not kept a top-flight clean sheet all season.

The Hornets will now be looking for their third head coach of the season.

A statement from Watford read: “The Hornets’ Board recognises Claudio as a man of great integrity and honour, who will always be respected here at Vicarage Road for his efforts in leading the team with dignity.

“However the Board feels that, with nearly half of the Premier League campaign remaining, a change in the Head Coach position now will give a new appointment sufficient time to work with a talented squad to achieve the immediate goal of retaining Premier League status.”

“No further club comment will be made until this new appointment is confirmed in due course,” the club said

Claudio Ranieri was in the news early in January min the build up to the Africa Cup of Nations AFCON in Cameroon when he refused to release Nigeria international, Emmanuel Dennis for the Super Eagles squad claiming that his invitation arrived late.

Many Nigerian football followers did not take his stance kindly.

Ranieri’s sack came 24 hours after the Super Eagles crashed out of the AFCON following a 1-0 defeat to Tunisia on Sunday