Swansea City have appointed Bob Bradley as manager after sacking Francesco Guidolin on Monday morning.
Bradley becomes the first American to manage in the Premier League after the Welsh club snubbed Ryan Giggs, who interviewed for the post alongside former Derby boss Paul Clement and ex Villarreal manager Marcelino.
Bradley emerged from the quartet as the prime choice of the club’s American owners, Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, and has left Le Havre to sign a two- and-a-half year deal at the Liberty Stadium.
It is a blow to Giggs who had been confident of landing his first permanent job in management, but Sportsmail understands that doubts over his lack of experience and an underwhelming interview last week cost him.
Clement, meanwhile, impressed at interview but not to the level of 58-year- old Bradley, who is charged with the responsibility of transforming Swansea’s season.
They have collected just four points in their opening seven games and sit one point outside the relegation zone. Performances had improved in the past two defeats against Manchester City and Liverpool, the latter of which was watched in person by Kaplan and Levien.
But with Guidolin receiving only lukewarm support from the dressing room amid long-standing indifference to his training methods, the club have decided to act just nine months after he first arrived on a short-term deal and only five months after he signed a two-year contract.
He was sacked by the club on his 61st birthday.
Bradley, in particular, was said by Swansea sources to have shown ‘excellent leadership’ in his interview. Sportsmail understands he met with the club twice in the past week, with Kaplan and Levien especially impressed with how he managed Egypt between 2011 and 2013 during the Arab Spring.
Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins said: ‘We are delighted Bob has agreed to join us. He is highly regarded as a coach and has a wealth of experience on the international and domestic front.
‘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.
‘It is never easy changing managers, but we are looking at a long-term appointment and we are confident Bob can settle us down and stabilise matters on and off the pitch.’
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