Dino Maamria: Stevenage sack Tunisian; Mark Sampson takes temporary charge

Image source, Rex Features

Image caption, Mark Sampson (middle) was recruited by Stevenage as first-team coach in July

League Two side Stevenage have sacked manager Dino Maamria and put former England Women's coach Mark Sampson in caretaker charge.

Maamria, 48, took over at the Boro in March 2018 and helped them finish 10th last season.

However, they have started this campaign poorly and are currently second from bottom, without a victory.

Sampson, 36, who was sacked from his England role in 2017, steps up from the position of first-team coach.

He will be assisted by newly appointed under-18s manager Alex Revell.

Tunisian Maamria first joined Stevenage as a player in 2003, making 97 appearances in two spells before returning to the club to work as assistant to Graham Westley in 2008.

The Football Association reached a settlement with Sampson in January after an unfair dismissal case, with the ex-Bristol Academy boss fired following evidence of "inappropriate and unacceptable" behaviour with female players in a previous role.

Before his dismissal, Sampson had that year been cleared of wrongdoing following discrimination allegations made by England players, including then Chelsea and Lionesses striker Eniola Aluko.

The FA then apologised to Aluko and England team-mate Drew Spence for Sampson's racially discriminatory remarks after an independent barrister ruled he made unacceptable "ill-judged attempts at humour" on two occasions.

Sampson - who led the Lionesses to a bronze medal at the 2015 Women's World Cup - said earlier this year he would "forever regret" the situation following his sacking.

'Maamria sacking not unexpected' - Analysis

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio sports editor

The sacking doesn't come as too much of a surprise. Picking up three points from a possible 21 so far this season is a weak effort.

There are circumstances - Maamria had been handicapped by a horrendous injury list which forced him to field inexperienced youngsters - but you do wonder what's been happening on the training ground for there to be so many injuries so early in the season.

Maamria maintained he would turn the corner once he had some of them back, but picked up another injury on Saturday with Scott Cuthbert off before half-time.

The club has made huge strides off the pitch in terms of development and with an ambitious chairman like Phil Wallace it wasn't unexpected that he came to this decision.