Paul Clement: Reading sack manager after nine months in charge with Championship club 21st in the table
The former Swansea and Derby manager was appointed Royals boss in March
Paul Clement has been sacked by Reading, the Championship club have confirmed.
Clement, 46, had only been in charge since March having succeeded Jaap Stam at the Madejski Stadium on a three-year contract.
The former Swansea and Derby manager secured Reading's second division status at the end of 2017/18, but he guided the Royals to just five wins in their first 22 matches of the current campaign.
And Mr Yongge Dai and Ms Xiu Li Dai, the Reading owners, have decided to act with the club 21st in the Championship table - only outside the bottom three on goal difference.
Latest Football News
A club statement read: "We would like to thank Paul for his hard work during his time as manager of Reading Football Club and we wish him the very best of luck in his future endeavours.
"CEO Nigel Howe will now seek to swiftly identify and appoint a new manager who will fit the Reading mould, build a team which can deliver performances and results that will help us climb the Championship table and lead the club towards promotion in the future.
"The club will make no additional comment at this time but will provide further updates as soon as possible."
Clement, who began his career coaching with Chelsea and Fulham, before being appointed to a senior assistant role at Stamford Bridge in 2009.
He moved on to Blackburn two years later, before reuniting with Carlo Ancelotti - his former Chelsea boss - at Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Clement accepted his first management role in 2015 with Derby, but he was sacked eight months later despite the club sitting second in the Championship table.
He went back to working under Ancelotti for the fourth time - on this occasion with Bayern Munich - before being named Swansea manager in January 2017.
The 46-year-old kept the Swans in the Premier League in 2017/18, but he was sacked four months into the following campaign after a poor start to the season.
Soon after he was appointed Reading manager, but again Clement has been dismissed from his position less than a year after being appointed.