Blog > News & Trivia

Staff Roundup: 24 May-7 June

08 Jun, 2024
Staff Roundup: 24 May-7 June

In terms of managerial moves, the last fortnight has been the busiest of the summer so far. Many of Europe's biggest, most successful clubs have appointed new head coaches, and some of these appointments have been extremely surprising. Meanwhile, there has also been plenty of action behind the scenes in the lower leagues, as clubs in the English Football League (EFL) and beyond attempt to prepare for a brand new season amid fresh expectations from fans.

In this article, we'll be catching you up with all the most significant staff switches that have taken place in the world of football over the last two weeks. There will be a particular focus on the world of coaching, but we'll also dive into any key directorial or executive appointments that have been made in this period.

Jose Mourinho, Fenerbahce

When Jose Mourinho was officially revealed as Fenerbahce boss for the first time, the club's supporters went absolutely bonkers. The Turkish giants — one of Istanbul's big three clubs — filled their Sukru Saracoglu Stadium with thousands of fans as their new manager was given a hero's welcome after being announced on Sunday 2nd June.

It's been a decade since Fenerbahce won the Turkish top flight, so the iconic Portuguese coach — who has won a remarkable 26 major trophies for illustrious clubs such as Real Madrid, Internazionale, Chelsea, and Porto — has got his work cut out. In typical Mourinho style, though, he's gone in with confidence. "The big goal, the big dream, is to win the Turkish League," he told fans. "We want to fight for it."

Enzo Maresca, Chelsea

It shocked many football fans when Chelsea decided to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino after an impressive end to the season that saw the Blues become one of the Premier League's form teams and ultimately qualify for the Europa League. However, the west London club seem confident that they've found the right replacement with Enzo Maresca, a Pep Guardiola disciple and former Man City assistant who impressed in only his second senior posting at Leicester City.

Maresca led the Foxes to the Championship title last season but was tempted to move to the capital and lead Premier League giants Chelsea into the 2024/25 season. Signing a lucrative five-year contract, he'll start work officially on 1st July but has reportedly already been in touch with the club to start analysing performance and data. Also joining Chelsea from Leicester alongside Maresca are six other coaches: Danny Walker, Michele De Bernadin, Marcos Alvarez, Javi Molina, Roberto Vitiello and former Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero.

Hansi Flick, Barcelona

Newly-crowned Champions League winners Real Madrid — who have dominated the competition in recent years, winning six UCL trophies since 2013 — will take some beating in next season's La Liga, particularly given their long-awaited signing of French star player Kylian Mbappe. On 29th May, it was announced that the man tasked with leading the title charge against Los Blancos will be experienced German manager Hansi Flick. 

The 59-year-old was confirmed as the new Barcelona coach following the departure of Xavi Hernandez after a disappointing season. A two-time Bundesliga champion and Champions League winner with Bayern Munich, Flick has an impressive CV but he struggled in his last role as Germany national team manager and will be desperate to re-establish his reputation as one of Europe's leading club coaches.

He'll be joined at his new club by Marcus Sorg, his former right-hand man with the German national team, and Toni Tapalovic, who will be the new technical assistant at Camp Nou. The two-year deal Flick has signed with Barca is reputedly worth around £3m each year plus incentives.

Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich

We reported in the last edition of our biweekly staff roundup that former Manchester City captain and Burnley boss Vincent Kompany was close to securing a deal to become the new manager of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. The club, based in southern Germany, sparked controversy when it was revealed that Kompany had become their prime target, and on 29th May, the appointment was announced formally by the club.

The 38-year-old Belgian will join on a contract that runs until 2027, with the aim being to seize back the Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen in that time. Due to the fact that Kompany was still under contract at Burnley, the Lancashire club are reportedly set to receive around €10-12 million in compensation from Bayern.

Johannes Hoff Thorup, Norwich City

Danish top flight side FC Nordsjaelland have gained plenty of attention in recent years for their intelligent scouting network and their ties to the forward-thinking Right To Dream player development initiative. Since his appointment as first team coach in January 2023, their promising young boss Johannes Hoff Thorup has played a key role in bolstering this reputation, developing an attractive style of play and guiding the club to a 2nd-place league finish. Now, the 35-year-old has been poached by Championship play-off semi-finalists Norwich City following the departure of David Wagner.

The Danish manager is one of Europe's most hotly-tipped young coaches, so Canaries fans have understandably welcomed the move and enthused about the prospects of a more offensive-minded set-up. Thorup will also be joined by experienced coach Glen Riddersholm, who has managed four professional clubs, worked with the Danish FA, and played a key role in developing players like Simon Kjaer, Christian Eriksen, Martin Braithwaite and Joachim Andersen.

Wayne Rooney, Plymouth Argyle

Legendary former Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney has had a slightly rocky start to life in management. His first posting was at Derby County, where he did some admirable work but couldn't prevent the club from being relegated to League One following a points deduction and numerous off-pitch difficulties. In his most recent job at Birmingham City, he lost nine out of 15 games and was sacked after just 83 days in January. 

However, Devon club Plymouth Argyle have decided to take a punt on the 38-year-old, following the departure of Ian Foster (who was replaced on an interim basis at the end of last season by Director of Football Neil Dewsnip and coach Kevin Nancekivell). Plymouth avoided relegation from the Championship on the final day of the campaign, and they'll be hoping that Rooney can help move them up the league table. "Taking this role at Plymouth Argyle feels like the perfect next step in my career," Rooney said. "I would like to thank the chairman and board for the faith they have shown in me."

Chris Davies, Birmingham City

The man charged with picking up Birmingham City after a disastrous Championship relegation campaign (which the aforementioned Rooney played a damning part in) is former Spurs assistant coach Chris Davies, who worked as Ange Postecoglou's number two last season.

The newly appointed Birmingham manager is respected in the game, with the 39-year-old earning his stripes as a coach under Brendan Rodgers at Swansea, Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester City. He'll lead the men's first team in League One next season, following the departure of Tony Mowbray due to health reasons. The aim will be to bounce straight back to the second tier. 

Tim Walter, Hull City

A disappointing end to the campaign meant Hull City failed to make the Championship play-offs last season, and boss Liam Rosenior didn't survive this failure. His replacement, announced on the 31st May, is German boss Tim Walter. The 48-year-old former Hamburg head coach has a solid CV that also includes stints at Stuttgart and Holstein Kiel.

Tiago Pinto, AFC Bournemouth

The movement of former technical director Richard Hughes to Liverpool this summer has caused plenty of reshuffling behind the scenes at Bournemouth in recent weeks. The latest appointment sees Tiago Pinto become the first-ever President of Football Operations at the south coast club.

Previously a General Manager at Roma (he occupied this prestigious role from November 2020 to February 2024), the 39-year-old comes with an impressive track record and will soon begin work on the broad remit of "all football matters" alongside Chief Executive Neill Blake and Technical Director Simon Francis.

Darren Hughes, Manchester City

After a decade working within the youth set-up at record-breaking Premier League champions Manchester City as Under 11s Lead, Under 18s Assistant and Under 16s Lead, Darren Hughes has become the club's new Head of Individual Player Development. He'll begin working building a brand new department at the club, utilising his vast experience in youth football to help lead the Cityzens' player growth going forwards.

Jordan Reece, Manchester United

Arsenal's Head Physio Jordan Reece has made the move north to join Manchester United in the same role, as the Red Devils continue to transform their set-up behind the scenes. Reece was at Arsenal for a total of nearly 12 years, and formerly worked as Crystal Palace's Academy Physio.

Mark Robinson, Burton Albion

League One side Burton Albion have appointed former Chelsea Under-21s coach Mark Robinson as their new Head Coach. Robinson played a key role in the development of talented youngsters such as Alfie Gilchrist, Lewis Hall and Omari Hutchinson while at Chelsea, and the Brewers believe that this experience will help him excel in his first senior position. 

Jon Pepper, Lincoln City Women

As League One side Lincoln City aim to significantly enhance their women's football set-up, Jon Pepper has been announced as their new Academy & Women's Technical Director. From now on, the club is looking to provide female players with the exact same opportunities as male players at Lincoln.