Leicester appoint Steve Cooper as manager after Enzo Maresca

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Leicester City have appointed Steve Cooper as their new first-team manager on a three-year contract, the club announced on Thursday.

Cooper, who guided Nottingham Forest to the Premier League in 2022, replaces Enzo Maresca, who joined Chelsea as head coach in May after leading Leicester to promotion from the Championship last season.

"I am really excited and proud to be appointed Leicester City's first-team manager," Cooper said of his appointment. "This is a fantastic club with a rich history and passionate supporters. I am excited to work with such a talented squad and I'm looking forward to the challenge of achieving our shared ambitions in the Premier League."

"We are delighted to welcome Steve to Leicester City. His vision for the team, including his ability to develop players and implement a dynamic style of play, is very much aligned with our aspirations for the club," Leicester City Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said.

Cooper, who has also coached Swansea City, led England's under-17 team to a World Cup triumph in 2017 and took them to the final of the 2017 European Championship.

Forest sacked Cooper in December 2023 after a run of five defeats in six games, replacing him with with Nuno Espírito Santo as they survived in the Premier League despite a points deduction for breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Leicester are facing their own PSR troubles after the league referred them to an independent commission in March over alleged breaches. The club issued legal proceedings to the Premier League and Championship in response.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.