Leicester interim coach Dawson unaware of Van Nistelrooy status as club deals with Christmas party fallout

Dawson said the departure of Cooper had been “a little bit unexpected” and that the players “shared some of that unexpectedness early in the week.”

British media are widely reporting that Van Nistelrooy, who recently had a brief spell in charge of Manchester United after Erik ten Hag’s departure, has been lined up to replace Steve Cooper at Leicester. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Leicester’s interim coach says he is in the dark about reports of the imminent appointment of Ruud van Nistelrooy as the Premier League team’s next manager.

British media are widely reporting that Van Nistelrooy, who recently had a brief spell in charge of Manchester United after Erik ten Hag’s departure, has been lined up to replace Steve Cooper at Leicester.

Cooper was fired on Sunday, a day after Leicester’s 2-1 loss to Chelsea, with the club in 16th place in the 20-team league.

First-team coach Ben Dawson will take charge against Brentford on Saturday and was asked if he could say anything about Van Nistelrooy.

“Nothing at the moment,” he told reporters at the pre-match news conference. “I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation. We probably know as much as you do, and we’re just continuing and focusing on the game tomorrow.”

Dawson said the departure of Cooper had been “a little bit unexpected” and that the players “shared some of that unexpectedness early in the week.”

He added the club’s hierarchy had “dealt” with the fallout from a Christmas party that Leicester’s players had in Copenhagen last weekend, images of which have circulated on social media.

In one video, a sign bearing the words “Enzo I miss you” was carried around a nightclub where Leicester’s players were partying. Cooper’s predecessor was Enzo Maresca, who joined Chelsea in the offseason.

Cooper was fired a day after the party in Copenhagen.

British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported this week that Leicester’s Thai owner, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, had held a meeting with the players after being left disappointed by the footage.

“First and foremost, the lads had a couple of days off and it’s their decision what they do with their time off,” Dawson said. “The issue you mentioned, the club have dealt with pretty quickly early in the week. Everybody has moved on and the lads have been really professional and worked well.”