Swansea sack Michael Laudrup and place Garry Monk in charge

Swansea City have sacked boss Michael Laudrup and put club captain Garry Monk in charge for Saturday's clash with arch-rivals Cardiff City.

The news came a day after chairman Huw Jenkins dismissed rumours that they had discussed Laudrup's future.

"It is a decision we have taken reluctantly," Jenkins told the club's website.

"But it's a decision made in the best interests of Swansea City football club and our supporters."

Rumours had been circulating about Laudrup's future since the Swans lost 2-0 at West Ham on Saturday.

It was their sixth defeat in eight Premier League games, leaving them only two points off the relegation places.

Monk had been tipped to join the club's backroom staff as part of a mooted reshuffle of the club's coaching set-up, but instead finds himself in the role of head coach "for the foreseeable future".

Swansea attacking legend Alan Curtis, already part of the coaching set-up at Liberty Stadium, will assist Monk as they seek revenge over the Bluebirds for their 1-0 Premier League defeat at Cardiff City Stadium in November.

Laudrup succeeded current Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers in south Wales in June 2012 and went on to lead the Swans to their first major trophy when they won the 2013 League Cup.

That success won them a place in this season's Europa League, a campaign that produced a memorable 3-0 victory at Spanish top-flight side Valencia in September. They face Napoli in the last 32 of the competition this month.

Jenkins added: "It is the first time in nearly 10 years that the club has parted with a manager in this way, but we had to remove the constant uncertainty surrounding the club and Michael's long-term future with us.

"I had a meeting with Michael today in a final attempt to support him and establish a way to improve the work of the backroom team to secure the results we need over the final 14 Premier League games.

"However, after thinking long and hard about the best way forward, I felt it was unlikely we would achieve a stable environment at the club to allow us to get back to basics and produce the performance levels that have served Swansea City so well over the last few years.

"Now we need to put that uncertainty behind us and move forward as a united football club on all fronts, while placing on record our gratitude to Michael for the work he has done over the last 18 months and wish him well for the future."