Birmingham City replace head coach
Former player Lee Bowyer taking over from Aitor Karanka who's stepped down from the job
Birmingham City have parted company with Aitor Karanka and replaced him with former player.
Karanka was shown the door after a run of only three wins in the last 19 league matches left Birmingham 21st in the Championship, three points clear of 22nd-placed Rotherham who have four games in hand.
The former Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest boss had stressed on Saturday that he intended to carry on in the job.
When asked if he would resign, Karanka said: "No chance. In my career I never gave up and here isn't going to be the first place.''
But the Blues said in a brief statement on Tuesday afternoon: "The club can confirm that Aitor Karanka has stepped down as head coach."
Just minutes later, Bowyer was named as the new boss.
Speaking of the move, he said: “I’m absolutely delighted and it’s great to be back.
“I’ve already seen some of the old faces from when I was here last and I’m just really looking forward to getting to work.
“My priority is to lift everybody, not just the players, the staff as well.
"It seems like it’s not been in a very good place, so I’ve got to lift them.
“I’ve got to try and implement what I want very quickly.
"The team will improve, I have no doubt about that, but we already have a good base to work with."
Club CEO, Dong Ren said: "He is a coach who has been on our radar for some time now and as a former player he knows exactly what it means to be a part of this Football Club.
“We believe he is the man to take us forward, initially in achieving our short-term goal of staying in the Championship and then further into the future as well.
"We are delighted that Lee has joined us at this important stage of the season and we are all committed to ensuring that he and the team are a success.”
Bowyer spent two-and-a-half seasons with Birmingham as a player, after initially joining on loan from West Ham in January 2009.
He lifted the League Cup with the club in 2011 but left a few months later following their relegation to the Championship.