The Italian’s last game was Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat by Southampton, which left the Cottagers 19th in the Premier League, 10 points from safety with 10 games left.

Ranieri took over in November after the sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic.

The 67-year-old won only three of his 17 games as manager.

It included a 3-2 victory over Southampton in his first game, but 11 defeats have followed including an FA Cup third-round exit at home to League Two side Oldham.

Chairman Shahid Khan said in a statement: “Claudio walked into a difficult situation, inheriting a side that gained only one point in its prior eight matches, and he provided an immediate boost by leading our club to nine points in his first eight matches as manager.

“Though we were unable to maintain that pace thereafter, I am grateful for his effort. Claudio leaves Fulham as our friend and he will undoubtedly experience success again soon.

“Scott’s immediate assignment is merely to help us stabilise, grow and rediscover ourselves as a football club.

“If Scott can answer that challenge, and our players respond to the opportunity, perhaps victories will follow in the months ahead.”

Ranieri led Leicester City to a miraculous Premier League title triumph in 2016, but was sacked just nine months later and then had a season in charge at French Ligue 1 side Nantes.

He took over on a “multi-year” contract at Fulham when they were bottom of the table with five points from their opening 12 matches, but failed to oversee an upturn in fortunes.

Ranieri added: “I am obviously disappointed with the recent results and that we could not build on the good start we made following my appointment. Finally, I would like to thank the club, the players and the fans for the support they have given me during my time at the club.”

Former midfielder Parker will become Fulham’s sixth manager in 56 Premier League games after Martin Jol, Rene Meulensteen, Felix Magath, Jokanovic and Ranieri.

The 38-year-old, capped 18 times by England, has no previous managerial experience but played nearly 600 professional games, mainly in the Premier League for Charlton, Chelsea, Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham, before ending his career at Fulham in June 2017.

A year later he returned to the club as first-team coach, having been in charge of Tottenham’s Under-18 side.

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The victory – United’s first in five league matches – moved them up to sixth, while bottom-of-the-table Fulham have now conceded 40 goals in 16 matches.

“In the first half we were shy, we were waiting,” said Ranieri after his fourth match in charge. “Why? Why were we waiting? The first half was a warm-up.

“I want my team to play and fight for every single ball. We have to be stronger, more confident in our qualities.

“In the first half it was 11 lambs against 11 wolves. The wolves ate the lambs.”

The hosts took the lead after 13 minutes when Ashley Young bustled his way into the penalty area and curled the ball into the far corner.

Marcus Rashford set up Juan Mata for United’s second, before Romelu Lukaku finished from close range from Mata’s low cross.

Substitute Aboubakar Kamara pulled one back with a penalty after he had been fouled by Ander Herrera, but Ranieri’s side were soon reduced to 10 men, when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was dismissed for two bookable offences.

England striker Rashford sealed United’s victory with a powerful strike from a tight angle that beat Sergio Rico at his near post.

This was the first time this season the Red Devils had won by a three-goal margin in the league, though they did beat Young Boys 3-0 in the Champions League in September.

The last time they won by three goals in the league was on 15 January, with a 3-0 home defeat of Stoke.

This was a welcome win for United after a derby defeat by Manchester City on 11 November that preceded three successive draws in the league – against Crystal Palace, Southampton and Arsenal.

That had increased the external pressure on Mourinho, though his agent said on Friday the Portuguese was “very happy at the club and the club is very happy with him”.

Mourinho named World Cup winner Paul Pogba on the bench, as he was against the Gunners, while forward Anthony Martial was missing because of a hamstring injury.

The United boss kept faith with 19-year-old right-back Diogo Dalot, starting a Premier League match for only the second time after his £19m summer move from Porto, and was rewarded with a fine performance.

But United’s first goal came from the other full-back – Young, who picked up the ball on the side of the penalty area, forced his way past Denis Odoi and curled home.

Mata, who came in for Martial, was also excellent, scoring the second, then setting up Lukaku – scoring his second goal in 15 United games – for the third.

Kamara lifted Fulham’s hopes of a recovery with a controversial penalty after he was tackled by Herrera, who looked to have won the ball.

But the London side were reduced to 10 men within two minutes of that goal, and from then on United dominated again and Rashford got the goal he deserved in the 82nd minute to complete a fine evening for United and Mourinho.

For Fulham, the opening half highlighted their defensive frailties. They are the only team not to have kept a clean sheet in the top flight this season, and have now conceded at least three goals in a match in seven of 16 games.

Ranieri will be worried by the ease with which his side were carved open for United’s first three goals.

The Italian, a Premier League winner with Leicester, made two big decisions at half-time – replacing top goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and captain Tom Cairney with Luciano Vietto and Kamara – and was rewarded with a much better second-half performance.

Kamara won a penalty and converted it himself, but any hope of an incredible fightback ended within two minutes when Anguissa was sent off. The Cameroon international seemed to be penalised harshly by referee Lee Probert when he was adjudged to have fouled Rashford, after being cautioned for an earlier foul on Lingard.

With only 10 men, it was no surprise Fulham conceded again and Ranieri will face a very difficult task to tighten his side up in defence as they look to avoid an instant return to the Championship.

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The 59-year-old replaces fellow Italian Antonio Conte, who was sacked on Friday after two years at Stamford Bridge.

Sarri led Napoli to two second-place finishes in his three seasons in charge of the Serie A side, who named Carlo Ancelotti as his successor in May.

“It is an exciting new period in my career,” said Sarri, adding “I hope we can provide some entertaining football for our fans and that we will be competing for trophies at the end of the season, which is what this club deserves.”

He is the 13th managerial appointment by Blues owner Roman Abramovich since his takeover of the club in 2003, including Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink on two occasions.

Sarri’s appointment had been widely expected, with Chelsea agreeing compensation to bring him to Stamford Bridge because he had two years left on his Napoli deal and had remained on the Italian club’s payroll after Ancelotti’s arrival.

Sarri never made it as a player and, unable to make a living as a footballer, he worked as a foreign currency trader at the Banca Toscana.

He was attached to the international department, which involved business trips to Europe’s financial centres, including the City of London – but the role never stoked his imagination quite like football did.

He coached part-time, hopping from one Tuscan town to another and in 2001, when foreign currency traders like him were no longer as useful to banks as Italy prepared to adopt the euro, Sarri decided to take a leap of faith and leave his well-paid, regular-hours role, for what he says is “the only job I would do for free”.

Juventus have dominated the Italian league – winning seven titles in a row – but no side has come closer to them in that time than Napoli, who finished four points behind their rivals last season.

Sarri comes with a reputation as an attacking manager, with Napoli’s haul of 94 goals in the 2016-17 league campaign remaining the highest number scored in a Serie A season since the turn of the century.

In his three years in charge, Napoli scored 251 league goals – more than any other side in the Italian top flight.

He is Chelsea’s sixth Italian manager since Gianluca Vialli in 1998, following Claudio Ranieri, Ancelotti, Roberto di Matteo and Conte.

Despite his success domestically, he failed to guide the Naples club past the last-16 stage of the Champions League, finishing third in their group last season behind Manchester City and Shakhtar Donetsk.

He joined Napoli in 2015 after guiding Empoli to the top flight. Chelsea is his first managerial job outside his home country and he has yet to win a major trophy.

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The Foxes are third from bottom in the Premier League and have not won any of their past six league matches.

Shakespeare, 53, succeeded title winner Claudio Ranieri in February, initially on a temporary basis.

After steering the Foxes away from trouble to finish in 12th place, he was given the job permanently in June.

Shakespeare won eight of his 16 games in charge last season, and led the club to the Champions League quarter-finals.

His departure follows a 1-1 draw with West Brom on Monday.

The last time Leicester went six league matches without a victory, Ranieri was sacked – nine months after leading them to the title.

Of their 10 matches this season – eight in the league and two in the EFL Cup – Leicester have won three and drawn three, losing four.

But they have won only once in the league – a 2-0 victory at home to Brighton on 19 August.

Their four defeats have come against Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

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Ranieri was sacked by the Premier League champions in February and said on Monday night that “someone behind” him may have been working against him.

Shakespeare said: “We have never had any arguments or hard feelings.

“Free speech is there for everybody. I don’t have any problem with that. I have a clear conscience.”

Speaking on Sky Sports on Monday, Ranieri hinted at problems with somebody at Leicester, but refused to name anyone, leaving Shakespeare to face questions in the build-up to Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final with Atletico Madrid.

Ranieri said: “I don’t want to say who it is. I am a loyal man. What I had to say, I said face to face.”

Shakespeare, who did not seen the interview live, said that he had spoken with Ranieri on the day the Italian was sacked and believed their relationship was good.

“Claudio was in good humour, he came across exactly as I know him,” Shakespeare said.

“My stance is the same from my first interview [as manager] when I stated that I’d spoken to Claudio the night he was relieved, he thanked me for my time, and I thanked him.

“He said it was football. It was good to see him enjoying his football and he came across really well.”

Leicester won their first five league games under Shakespeare before losing at Everton on Sunday but start as underdogs against an Atletico side who have reached the Champions League final in two of the past three seasons.

Captain Wes Morgan has travelled with the squad but is not fit to start as the Foxes look to cause the latest upset in a remarkable couple of seasons.

“These are the nights that drive you on,” said Shakespeare.

“When you look at where the club has come from, to walk through a stadium like this, a lovely traditional ground filled with cups and trophies, it gives you a tingle.”

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The Italian led the Foxes to the Premier League title last season but was dismissed in February.

“I can’t believe my players killed me. No, no, no,” he told Sky Sports.

“Maybe it was someone behind me. I had a little problem the year before and we won the title. Maybe this year, when we lose, these people push a little more.”

When Ranieri was sacked Leicester were one point above the Premier League relegation zone.

Assistant manager Craig Shakespeare was placed in charge and presided over five successive league victories and a Champions League last-16 win against Sevilla.

“I listen to a lot of stories,” added 65-year-old Ranieri, who refused to identify who he was referring to.

“I don’t want to say who it is. I am a loyal man. What I had to say, I said face to face.”

In the aftermath of Ranieri’s exit, some reports suggested that the players had been instrumental in his dismissal, with the likes of striker Jamie Vardy and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel publicly denying that the squad were involved.

Ranieri’s final game in charge was a 2-1 defeat away to Sevilla, with the Foxes winning the return leg under Shakespeare 2-0 to earn a Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid.

“I thought the Sevilla match was a turning point,” said the former Chelsea manager. “Everyone was fighting together, Jamie Vardy scored a goal.

“But I found out on the way home that I would be sacked. It was a shock for me and for a lot of other people.”

Ranieri’s dismissal sparked a wave of support from fellow managers, pundits and supporters, with former Leicester and England striker Gary Lineker saying he “shed a tear”.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho wore Ranieri’s initials on his shirt and said that the Leicester players were “selfish”.

The Italian said he received support from all across the world.

“It was amazing,” he said. “When we won the title I received gifts and cards, bottles of wine and Champagne. When I was sacked, my house was full.

“In case I don’t have the time to reply to all of them, I want to thank all the fans.

“I have won trophies around Europe, but never the title. Three times I was runner-up. Leicester and the fans will be in my heart for all of my life.”

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Tom Davies poked in for the hosts after 30 seconds, before Leicester rallied with a slick counter-attacking goal from Islam Slimani and a superb free-kick from Marc Albrighton.

But Leicester, much changed before Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final at Atletico Madrid, never looked comfortable.

Lukaku headed in a Ross Barkley cross to draw Everton level and Phil Jagielka was allowed too much space at a corner as the Toffees reached the break ahead.

Lukaku drilled in from close range after the interval and the withdrawal of the bright Demarai Gray and striker Jamie Vardy seemed to signal Leicester’s attentions turning towards Europe.

With his 22nd and 23rd Premier League goals putting him four clear of Harry Kane in the top-flight scoring charts, Lukaku will soon have to search further afield for his scoring benchmarks.

His game-sealing second – a sharp finish after cleverly lurking in the shadow of Jagielka at a corner – means that only five other men have scored more in Europe’s top four leagues.

The last time that Everton had such a prolific goalscorer was Gary Lineker in the 1985-86 season. Lineker left at the end of that campaign for Barcelona and, after Lukaku turned down a £140,000-a-week contract extension last month, it seems European football is the minimum required to keep him at the club.

Victory moves Everton level with sixth-placed Arsenal, below them on goal difference, albeit having played three games more.

Seventh should be good enough for a Europa League place, however, with Manchester United winning the League Cup and the FA Cup semi-finals being contested by teams above them in the table.

One goal in 30 seconds, three inside 10 minutes and five before the half was out. An extraordinary first 45 minutes was more a product of flimsy defending rather than incisive attacking, however.

Leicester have kept clean sheets in their last two games with Yohan Benalouane filling in for Wes Morgan at the centre of defence, but the Tunisian looked out of his depth from the first minute at Goodison Park.

As Kevin Mirallas drove towards the penalty area in the match’s first attack he rashly sold himself to spread panic through the visitors backline and allow Davies space to score the joint fastest Premier League goal of the season.

At the other end Everton seemed to miss the suspended Ashley Williams’ authority and organisation as Gray burst forward on a swift counter to slip in Slimani but it was Benalouane’s presence, rather than the Wales international’s absence, that was to prove the more telling feature of the match.

First the Leicester centre-back allowed Lukaku to stroll in front of him to restore parity in the 23rd minute and then lost contact with Jagielka as the captain sent his side to the dressing room ahead at the end of a breathless first half.

Victory for Leicester at Goodison Park would have extended their winning streak in the league to six matches – more than they achieved at any point in last season’s title-winning campaign.

However, their title defence, fatally undermined by their form under Shakespeare’s predecessor Claudio Ranieri, has now been eclipsed by their run to the last eight of the Champions League.

The return of the rested Wilfred Ndidi in midfield should add much-needed steel to the side for a testing evening in the Vicente Calderon as they aim for silverware that would arguably surpass even last season’s Premier League coup.

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It was a much-improved display from the Foxes under caretaker boss Craig Shakespeare, who took over after the departure of the man who led them to last season’s remarkable title triumph.

The first strike was straight from the 2015-16 playbook as Vardy collected Marc Albrighton’s precise long pass before racing clear and finishing low past Simon Mignolet to score his second goal in a week.

The second was an absolute cracker from Vardy’s England team-mate Drinkwater, who showed superb technique to lash home his first goal of the campaign from outside the box following a clearance from a long throw.

And Vardy sealed the win with a glancing header from Christian Fuchs’ cross in the second half before Philippe Coutinho stroked home a consolation goal.

The goals were the first the Foxes have scored in the league in 2017 and ended a run of five straight top-flight defeats in spectacular fashion.

Liverpool – who would have climbed to third with a victory – have now lost five of their past seven matches in all competitions.

In keeping with Craig Shakespeare’s pre-match comments, Leicester returned to the style of last season, 4-4-2 and looking to hit the advanced Jamie Vardy with balls from deep.

Their 31% of possession and the average position of Vardy (9) in the game is testimony to that.

Ranieri’s name was everywhere at the King Power – in pre-game conversations, on banners and in chants – as was his face, courtesy of paper masks worn by some Foxes supporters.

The 65-year-old Italian has left an indelible imprint on the club with last season’s astonishing success.

However, the inconvenient truth for many is that he was overseeing statistically one of the worst title defences in English top-flight history – one that has left Leicester facing the prospect of become the first reigning champions to be relegated since Manchester City in 1938.

Amid suggestions the players had stopped playing for their former boss, there was an element of damned if you do win and damned if you don’t in this game.

However, the need for victory was paramount and they were excellent from start to finish as Shakespeare drew a committed, energetic and ruthless display to improve his chances of steering the club to safety – and possibly succeeding Ranieri on a permanent basis.

The champions also have players in form. Vardy now has three goals in two games and Kasper Schmeichel remains an authoritative presence in goal, as he demonstrated with two big saves to deny Coutinho and Emre Can in the first half and Adam Lallana after the break.

While Leicester have embarked on a demanding February comprising five matches, Liverpool have taken to the field just twice this month and came into this game off the back of a 16-day break, during which they took a training trip to La Manga in Spain.

But instead of looking refreshed, the Reds looked rusty throughout and were simply unable to make an impression on a night when they were always likely to be second on the bill.

Just over 12 months ago, Jurgen Klopp’s side were undone on this ground as a Vardy-inspired Leicester consigned them to a defeat that left them 16 points off top spot in eighth.

They are now 14 points behind leaders Chelsea in fifth but look as far away from challenging for the title as they did in 2016.

Goalscorer Coutinho was their only consistent attacking threat, while the defence continues to look shaky – especially with Lucas masquerading at centre-back – and their midfield lacked the industry and bite to compete in the absence of injured captain Jordan Henderson.

They now have a real challenge on their hands if they are to finish in the top four and seal a return to the Champions League next season.

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Riyad Mahrez’s goal secured a 1-0 win over FC Copenhagen on Tuesday to leave the Foxes one victory from qualifying for the Champions League last 16.

But the English champions, unbeaten in Europe with three wins in three, are 13th domestically after four losses.

Ranieri said it is a “psychological” problem and the league is his priority.

Leicester are only the fifth Champions League debutants – after AC Milan, Paris St-Germain, Juventus and Malaga – to win their opening three games.

“I’m very proud of the side from one side but from another, when I think of the Premier League, I am very, very angry,” said Ranieri, 64.

“In my career this has happened. When you are in the big competition for the first time you grow and then you lose something when you go back into your own competition.

“When you play in the Champions League you are switched on, very, very smart and focused on every situation. You use up a lot of mental energy in the Champions League.

“We want to change this though because the Premier League is our priority.”

Leicester have already lost more games in the Premier League this season than they did in their title campaign – and conceded 14 goals.

But in Europe, the Foxes have become only the third team to begin a Champions League campaign with three straight clean sheets, and they can secure a place in the last 16 with a win in Denmark on 2 November, having already guaranteed at least a Europa League spot.

“It is good to go into the Europa League but we are in the Champions League and we go step by step,” added Ranieri.

“We have to stay calm now and change our mentality in the Premier League because we have Crystal Palace coming up – a tough, tough match.”

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The Blues were ahead inside seven minutes when Nemanja Matic flicked on Eden Hazard’s corner for Diego Costa to smash home.

A David Luiz free-kick struck the post, before Pedro played in Hazard, who rounded Kasper Schmeichel to slot in.

Luiz hit his own post when clearing a cross, but Victor Moses’ finish after a one-two with substitute Nathaniel Chalobah completed the scoring.

Leicester, who left Riyad Mahrez on the bench for the first time in 36 league games, failed to register a shot on target as they struggled to cope against Chelsea’s aggressive pressing and quick passing.

Defeat leaves Claudio Ranieri’s side with eight points from their first eight games – the joint second lowest haul by a defending Premier League champion, along with Chelsea’s team of last season.

Since joining Chelsea from Leicester this summer, N’Golo Kante has found himself doing slightly less of the defensive work that established him as such a prized midfielder at the King Power Stadium.

But he continues to enjoy the gift of being in the right place at the right time and this was another excellent performance from the France international – who is clearly missed by Claudio Ranieri’s side.

However, much of Chelsea’s success in stifling the visitors came courtesy of their wing-backs. When Marcos Alonso – making his home debut – harried Danny Drinkwater high up the pitch to win the ball back and deliver a dangerous low cross, he was repeating the pattern set by Moses on the opposite right flank.

Instead we saw the other side of Kante’s game. The 25-year-old would have scored Chelsea’s third had it not been for Foxes captain Wes Morgan, who made a brilliant block after a Costa cross spilled off Schmeichel’s legs to leave the goalmouth exposed.

And his perfectly weighted through ball deserved a better finish from Moses, who eventually did settle the points for certain when latching on to a delightful flick by 21-year-old English midfielder Chalobah – making his senior home debut after six loan spells away from the club.

On Thursday, several bookmakers suspended betting on Chelsea boss Conte being the next Premier League manager to lose his job.

The Italian laughed off the rumours in his news conference on Friday -“I am trying to find out who put the money on” – but some may have wondered if there would be a sign of weakness in his side’s performance.

There was not. Chelsea began with real swagger and Costa’s early goal was the end product. The Premier League’s top scorer gambled on a late move to the back post and, as Morgan did not stay with him, was left with an easy finish for his seventh of the campaign. It took the 28-year-old Spain striker until January to reach that total last season.

The dipping Luiz free-kick that crashed against the post would have been a fitting second, so when Hazard found himself through on goal after a slightly lucky bounce it was hard to deny a 2-0 lead was deserved. The Belgium winger showed superb composure for his third goal from eight matches this season – compared to four from 31 last term.

And one of the finest flourishes came from Conte himself. There was a huge round of cheers from the home crowd when he brilliantly trapped a misplaced long pass that plummeted down into his technical area.

The fans will have found it hard not to have been incredibly impressed by their team’s performance – especially after what they witnessed over 2015-16.

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