Fulham, the Premier League's bottom club, announced Friday they had appointed Felix Magath as first team manager after Rene Meulensteen was sacked just over two months into his reign at Craven Cottage.
The west London side, at the foot of the table following a dramatic last-gasp 3-2 home defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday, are currently four points adrift of safety and have 12 games to save themselves from relegation.
Former Manchester United coach Meulensteen was appointed Fulham head coach under Martin Jol before taking charge of the side on December 1 after his fellow-Dutchman was sacked as the Cottagers' manager.
Asked about Meulensteen's position, a Fulham spokesman told AFP the club refused to comment on speculation and had nothing more to say than the line in their statement that said "an announcement on the Fulham backroom staff will be made in the near future".
However, Meulensteen himself told British media he had in fact been sacked in interviews later Friday.
Magath's career as a manager has so far been confined to his native Germany where, after taking over as boss of Bayern Munich in 2004, he guided the club to back-to-back German league and cup 'doubles' before being sacked in 2007.
Most recently, the 60-year-old was both manager and director of football at Wolfsburg but left by mutual consent in October 2012.
Fulham said Magath -- their third manager this season -- had been appointed on an 18-month contract with "immediate effect".
