Magilton leaves QPR in wake of headbutt claims

Jim Magilton and his assistant John Gorman have left QPR “by mutual consent”, the Championship club announced Wednesday, a week after the manager was suspended for allegedly head-butting one of his players.

Magilton had denied the allegation that he had assaulted Hungarian midfielder Akos Buzsaky in the wake of a 3-1 defeat at Watford, and vowed to clear his name and return to work.

But any chance of that happening was extinguished on Wednesday as Magilton became the second Championship manager to lose his job in the space of a few hours.

Reading had earlier announced the departure of Brendan Rodgers, who had been in charge for only six months but paid the price for the Royals’ slow start to the season, which has left them one place and three points above the relegation zone.

Magilton was the fifth permanent manager to work under chairman Flavio Briatore in the two years since the Italian took over at QPR.

Former Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is the favourite to succeed Magilton and youth coaches Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham will continue to take charge of the first team pending the appointment of a new manager.