Italian Claudio Ranieri has been appointed the new manager of Fulham, replacing Slavisa Jokanovic, the struggling Premier League club said on Wednesday.

Serbian Jokanovic led Fulham into the top flight from the second-tier Championship via the playoffs last season but the London club have made a poor start and are bottom of the league with one win in 12 games.

Fulham chairman Shahid Khan said he had taken the decision reluctantly.

“I wasn’t anticipating having to make this announcement related to Slavisa and wish the circumstances were such that I didn’t have to,” Khan said in a statement.

The much-travelled Ranieri won the Premier League title with unfancied Leicester City in 2016 and most recently coached French side Nantes.

The 67-year-old has worked with Valencia and Atletico Madrid in Spain, Juventus, AS Roma and Inter Milan in Italy and also had a four-year spell with Fulham’s neighbours Chelsea.