Wayne Rooney, 39, an iconic star performer for England’s national soccer team and Manchester United (England) during his playing days, has had a rough go of it as a coach. He was sacked after about three months and 15 games, a blow to his ego.
Birmingham City, of the English Professional Football Championship (second tier), announced on Wednesday that it had “parted ways with Rooney and coach Karl Robinson. Despite our best efforts, we have fallen short of expectations.”
The main reason for the dismissal is poor performance.
Rooney took charge of Birmingham in October of last year and set his sights on promotion to the English Premier League (EPL), but the reality has been anything but easy.
In his first 15 games in charge, Rooney had a very poor record of 2 wins, 4 draws, and 9 losses. From sixth place when he took over, the team plummeted to 20th out of 24 clubs. Relegation to the third tier was a real concern.
Rooney was reportedly asked to step down after a 0-3 defeat to Leeds United in the first game of the new year.
According to the BBC, Rooney stepped down after 83 days, making him the shortest-tenured manager in Birmingham’s history. 온라인카지노 Only Harry Redknapp was ousted after 13 games in the 2017-2018 season, but Rooney’s time in charge is shorter.
“I would like to thank the club for giving me the opportunity to manage and for their support in such a short period of time,” Rooney said, but added: “Time is a very valuable asset for a manager. I don’t think 13 weeks is enough time to make the necessary changes,” he said.
“It will take me some time to get over the setback. I plan to spend time with my family as I prepare for the next opportunity.”
Prior to Birmingham, Rooney managed Derby County (England) and D.C. United (USA).