Riijkard Leaves Galatasaray, Reds In Waiting

Frank Rijkaard's contract as coach of Galatasaray has been terminated by mutual agreement, the club said today. The former Uefa Cup champions are ninth in the Turkish championship after eight games, eight points adrift of leaders Bursaspor. They lost 4-2 against mid-table side Ankaragucu on Sunday. The Dutchman was appointed by the Istanbul club in 2009 after leaving Barcelona the previous year. "As a result of mutual talks with technical director Frank Rijkaard ... we have decided to part ways," read a Galatasaray statement. Rijkaard's availability has already led to speculation that he could replace Roy Hodgson as Liverpool manager. The 63-year- old Englishman has endured a torrid start to his tenure at Anfield and the club are in the relegation zone after almost a quarter of the season. The odds on Rijkaard replacing Hodgson tumbled today and the Dutchman was 5/2 favourite with William Hill this morning. Martin O'Neill (10/3), Kenny Dalglish (5/1) and Guus Hiddink (8/1) are next on the list.