Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric hopes to appoint an "experienced manager" as successor to the sacked Paulo Sousa within the next 48 hours.
The Foxes dismissed Sousa on Friday morning following the club's poor start to the season, just three days after Mandaric appeared to have given the 40-year-old Portuguese his backing.
But Leicester, currently bottom of the npower Championship with one win from their first nine league games, are now searching for their ninth manager since Mandaric completed his takeover of the club in 2007, with former boss Martin O'Neill and Sven Goran Eriksson both linked to the vacancy.
Mandaric sold the Foxes in August to Vichai Raksriaksorn, the Thai millionaire behind Asian Football Investments, but has stayed on as interim chairman.
He said: "It's important we bring in an experienced manager and it's important we complete the process quickly.
"We have a short-list of three candidates, all experienced managers, and we have to move quickly after these unfortunate events.
"We must do it quickly to satisfy the needs of the team and the supporters' expectations, within the next 48 hours."
League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan earlier launched a scathing attack on the decision to sack Sousa after less than three months in charge of the club and took a huge swipe at Mandaric's stewardship.
Bevan said: "How can a chairman expect to deliver success at a football club when a talented manager is recruited and dismissed within three months, at the start of the season and is given only nine league games to put his own imprint on the squad and the club?
"Knee-jerk dismissals and the chopping and changing of managers will not deliver success on the field and is incredibly destabilising to the entire club.
"Paulo's sacking is even more disappointing in light of the chairman's comments on Paulo's appointment, in the summer, when he stated he was 'delighted to acquire a manager of such great calibre'.
"Leicester City Football Club has had 14 managers since 2004. Clearly the club has to examine its manager recruitment strategy as their current approach does not work.
"It is damaging to the club and its fans and is an inappropriate way to treat talented managers and their careers."
Sousa, who steered Swansea to eighth place in his first full season in charge at the Liberty Stadium before switching to Leicester in the summer, expressed his disappointment at his dismissal.
He said: "To be sacked after being told that there was a long-term strategy at the club and after only nine games in charge is something that I find very surprising."
A club statement read: "The decision has been taken as a result of the club's poor run of results this season.
"The club would like to state that Paulo Sousa is a first-class individual, but that this decision has been taken in the best interests of the club and our ambitions to move up the npower Championship.
"The search for a new manager begins immediately and the club anticipates a quick appointment."
Current goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell and coach Chris Powell will take temporary charge of the first team for tomorrow's home match against Scunthorpe.
Sousa was appointed at the Walkers Stadium in July following the departure of Nigel Pearson to Hull at the end of last season after the Foxes reached the play-offs.
The Foxes dismissed Sousa on Friday morning following the club's poor start to the season, just three days after Mandaric appeared to have given the 40-year-old Portuguese his backing.
But Leicester, currently bottom of the npower Championship with one win from their first nine league games, are now searching for their ninth manager since Mandaric completed his takeover of the club in 2007, with former boss Martin O'Neill and Sven Goran Eriksson both linked to the vacancy.
Mandaric sold the Foxes in August to Vichai Raksriaksorn, the Thai millionaire behind Asian Football Investments, but has stayed on as interim chairman.
He said: "It's important we bring in an experienced manager and it's important we complete the process quickly.
"We have a short-list of three candidates, all experienced managers, and we have to move quickly after these unfortunate events.
"We must do it quickly to satisfy the needs of the team and the supporters' expectations, within the next 48 hours."
League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan earlier launched a scathing attack on the decision to sack Sousa after less than three months in charge of the club and took a huge swipe at Mandaric's stewardship.
Bevan said: "How can a chairman expect to deliver success at a football club when a talented manager is recruited and dismissed within three months, at the start of the season and is given only nine league games to put his own imprint on the squad and the club?
"Knee-jerk dismissals and the chopping and changing of managers will not deliver success on the field and is incredibly destabilising to the entire club.
"Paulo's sacking is even more disappointing in light of the chairman's comments on Paulo's appointment, in the summer, when he stated he was 'delighted to acquire a manager of such great calibre'.
"Leicester City Football Club has had 14 managers since 2004. Clearly the club has to examine its manager recruitment strategy as their current approach does not work.
"It is damaging to the club and its fans and is an inappropriate way to treat talented managers and their careers."
Sousa, who steered Swansea to eighth place in his first full season in charge at the Liberty Stadium before switching to Leicester in the summer, expressed his disappointment at his dismissal.
He said: "To be sacked after being told that there was a long-term strategy at the club and after only nine games in charge is something that I find very surprising."
A club statement read: "The decision has been taken as a result of the club's poor run of results this season.
"The club would like to state that Paulo Sousa is a first-class individual, but that this decision has been taken in the best interests of the club and our ambitions to move up the npower Championship.
"The search for a new manager begins immediately and the club anticipates a quick appointment."
Current goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell and coach Chris Powell will take temporary charge of the first team for tomorrow's home match against Scunthorpe.
Sousa was appointed at the Walkers Stadium in July following the departure of Nigel Pearson to Hull at the end of last season after the Foxes reached the play-offs.
FOXES CHIEF SEEKS EXPERIENCED MANAGER
![FOXES CHIEF SEEKS EXPERIENCED MANAGER]()
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