AS Roma sack coach Rudi Garcia

The Giallorossi boss has paid the price after winning only one of his last seven Serie A matches.

The dip in form has seen the capital club fall seven points adrift of Napoli at the top of the table, and former Lupi coach Spalletti is the favourite to succeed him.

Garcia arrived at the club in 2013 and led the club to two consecutive second-place finishes in Serie A.

“AS Roma confirms that Rudi Garcia, and his assistants Frederic Bompard and Claude Fichaux, will cease to manage its first team with immediate effect," read a statement on the club's official website.

"Garcia, who won Ligue 1 with Lille in 2011, was unveiled as the Giallorossi’s new coach on 12 June 2013. He led the team to 10 wins in the first 10 league matches of the 2013-14 season and went on to record consecutive second place finishes in Serie A. Given recent results, however, the club have decided to move in a new direction."

In an official statement, Roma president Jim Pallotta said: “On behalf of myself and everyone at AS Roma, I’d like to thank Rudi Garcia for all of his hard work since joining the club. We’ve all enjoyed some great moments during his time at Roma but we believe that this is the right time for a change."

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