Swansea sacks Guidolin; former U.S. boss Bradley named new manager

Francesco Guidolin's fears have come to fruition, as the Italian gaffer was fired Monday by Swansea City, with the south Wales club naming former United States men's national team boss Bob Bradley as his successor.

Languishing in 17th place after a poor start to the campaign that has the Swans perilously close to the drop zone, Guidolin conceded ahead of Saturday's defeat to Liverpool that he knew his job was in danger.

That dread became reality Monday, with a statement from the club saying, "We felt he (Guidolin) deserved his opportunity after the work he did last season.

"Unfortunately we have not been able to carry performances over from last season and we felt we needed to change things as soon as possible in order to move forward in a positive way."

Guidolin, who was hired in January as Garry Monk's replacement, took a club just two points above relegation and guided it to a 12th-place finish, securing a return this campaign. Sadly for the well-travelled manager, it wasn't enough, and his fate was sealed after the defeat to Liverpool marked five losses in seven league fixtures.

The club also announced that Guidolin's three assistants - Diego Bortoluzzi, Gabrielle Ambrosetti, and Claudio Bordon - have been replaced.

"We are obviously disappointed to part company with Francesco," Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins conceded Monday.

The appointment of Bradley comes on the heels of speculation suggesting that either he or former Welsh Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs would be Guidolin's successor. Bradley, who was managing French second-tier side Le Havre at the time of the appointment, will be formally released by the club after Monday's clash with Sochaux.

"He is highly regarded as a coach and has a wealth of experience on the international and domestic front," Jenkins said of Bradley.

"He is well aware of the club’s footballing philosophy and will provide us with strong leadership qualities and a renewed belief to compete at this level."

Bradley joins Swansea on the heels of successful spells with the Egyptian national team, Stabaek, and Le Havre. His most well-known role was at the helm of the USMNT, a job he held for five years before being sacked after a 4-2 loss to Mexico in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Bradley's greatest accomplishment while national team manager was topping Group C at the 2010 World Cup before losing to Ghana in the second round. He also led the U.S. to a Gold Cup victory in 2007 and a famous win over World No. 1 Spain, ending La Roja's 35-game unbeaten streak and 15-match winning run.