London (AFP) – Slavisa Jokanovic insists he would have led Fulham away from relegation trouble if he had been given more time before being replaced by Claudio Ranieri.
Jokanovic was the mastermind behind Fulham’s promotion to the Premier League last season, but the Serbian manager was sacked this week with the Cottagers rooted to the bottom of the table.
Fulham managed only one win from their opening 12 games despite a £100 million spree on new players including Jean Michael Seri, Andre Schurrle and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The club’s owner Shahid Khan on Wednesday decided to replace Jokanovic with Ranieri, who was Leicester manager when they won the Premier League in 2016.
Jokanovic issued a statement on Thursday afternoon via the League Managers Association, in which he “respectfully” accepted the club’s decision, but made it clear he thought he deserved a longer spell to save the west Londoners.
“I reflect on my spell at Fulham with immense pride and gratitude, looking back on great memories following my appointment at this fantastic football club almost three years ago now,” said Jokanovic, who had been in charge since December 2015.
“We have been on an exciting journey together. It all started when we avoided relegation to League One in my first season, before reaching the play-offs in my second year and then achieving promotion to the Premier League on an unforgettable day at Wembley back in May.
“I feel that we gave the club’s fans a footballing identity and a team to be proud of.
“I was still confident that we would have been able to turn things around after our slow start to the season, just as we had done in previous years, but I respectfully accept the club’s decision.”
