Former Rangers manager Michael Beale dismissed by Sunderland.
The 43-year-old has been let go from his second position this season, having been previously ousted by Rangers.
The London native was terminated by the Ibrox club at the beginning of October following a poor start to the season that allowed Celtic to surge into a seven-point lead at the summit of the Premiership.
After a couple of months without a job, Sunderland offered him a position.
Beale was formally announced as the new head coach of the Championship side on December 18, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract.
He departs Sunderland in 10th place, with their chances of making the playoffs diminishing.
Since assuming Beale’s role at Rangers, Philippe Clement has transformed their fortunes. Rangers currently lead the Premiership standings following an eventful weekend of Scottish top-flight action that saw Celtic drop more points domestically, this time at home to Kilmarnock.
He secured his first trophy in December with a 1-0 victory over Aberdeen in the Viaplay Cup final, and his team topped their Europa League group, guaranteeing automatic qualification for the last 16 of the competition.
Sunderland’s sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman, commented: “We are disappointed that Michael is leaving Sunderland AFC. Our aim is to improve, and unfortunately, that hasn’t been evident, so we take full responsibility and believe that taking decisive action is in the best interests of the Club.
“These past few months have been challenging for Michael, and we wish him the best for the future. Our focus now shifts to the players and supporting Mike Dodds in the remaining games to ensure we achieve the highest possible league finish.
“We will provide further updates to our supporters as significant developments occur.”
