Unai Emery is out at Arsenal after 18 rocky months in charge, the north London club announced on Friday.
[ MORE: Who are the favorites to replace Emery at Arsenal? ]
“The decision has been taken due to results and performances not being at the level required,” the club’s statement read a day after losing to Eintracht Frankfurt at home in the Europa League. Longtime Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg, previously a member of Emery’s first-team coaching staff, has taken over on an interim basis.
The club’s search for a new manager is underway. Speaking on behalf of the Arsenal board and our owners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Josh Kroenke said:
The Gunners haven’t won a Premier League game since Oct. 6 (three draws and two losses) and currently sit eight points outside the top-four.
[ MORE: Emery: “We are better than we are showing” ]
The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust (AST) chimed in, calling Emery’s dismissal “unfortunate but inevitable” and the “more difficult challenge is to recruit a suitable successor.”
“We are far from certain that Arsenal has the right personnel to lead this process. The AST has long been advocating that the most important changes needed at Arsenal are in the boardroom where Arsenal need better governance.”