BREAKING NEWS: Middlesbrough part company with Karanka

Premier League strugglers Middlesbrough have parted company with head coach Aitor Karanka after falling into the relegation zone.

Karanka took over at the Riverside Stadium with Boro sat 20th in the Championship, but led them to promotion in his second full season in charge.

Last season's promotion campaign was not without its hiccups, Karanka was reported to have fallen out with senior players at the club, as well as the board over transfer policy.

It was thought the former Real Madrid defender and assistant would leave the club when he did not take charge of a fixture at Charlton Athletic last March.

And almost exactly a year on from that row, he has gone, with Steve Agnew stepping up from number two to lead the team for the foreseeable future.

Reports of fractures on the training pitch have resurfaced in recent weeks, with Boro having dropped into the bottom three for the first time this season after losing 2-0 at Stoke City on March 4.