Wayne Rooney’s stint as Birmingham City’s manager appears to be coming to a rather bitter end. The former Manchester United player has reportedly been sacked by Birmingham City, a Championship side, which marked his second managing stint in English football. Having taken over the reins in October, Rooney’s record currently sits at just two wins, four draws, and nine losses, pushing the team down to the 20th spot, just a hair’s breadth away from the Championship relegation zone, which engulfs the bottom three among its 24 teams.
As reported by Sky Sport UK, the club’s board, which includes ex-football star Tom Brady as a minority partner, has released an official statement regarding Rooney’s dismissal.
They stated, “Despite their best efforts, the results have not met the expectations set initially. The Board believes a change in management is in the best interest of the Football Club. The Board of Directors and club management are fully aligned and will continue to drive the transformation and take bold steps to rebuild Birmingham City into the organisation that its fans and community deserve.”
The statement went on, CEO, Garry Cook noted, “We are committed to doing what is necessary to bring success to St. Andrew’s. Unfortunately, Wayne’s time with us did not go as planned and we have decided to move in a different direction. The hunt for a successor begins with immediate effect and we will update supporters when we have further news.”
The club has announced that the professional development coach, Steve Spooner, will temporarily assume the duties pertaining to the men’s first team. The rest of the technical staff will continue in their roles to assist Spooner. According to the club, no further comment will be made at this point.