Norwich City may soon part ways with first-team coach Narcís Pélach, after granting him permission to discuss a potential move to another Championship club.
The 36-year-old Spaniard joined the Canaries in 2023 as part of David Wagner’s coaching team and stayed on when Johannes Hoff Thorup took charge. Norwich currently sits 15th in the Championship, following a recent defeat to Swansea City.
Pélach is now a candidate to take over at Stoke City, following their dismissal of Steven Schumacher earlier today. Despite a decent start to the season, Schumacher was let go after nine months at the helm, with The Potters deciding it was time for a change.
Stoke City’s Jon Walters issued a statement explaining that tough decisions had to be made for the long-term benefit of the club. Walters’ comments mark the beginning of the search for Stoke’s third permanent manager within the past 12 months. Alex Neil, the previous manager, was sacked last December after a poor start to the 2023/24 season.
John Percy of The Telegraph reports that Norwich has allowed Pélach, a former Girona coach, to speak with Stoke regarding the vacancy. Should he be selected as Schumacher’s replacement, Norwich goalkeeping coach Paul Clements is expected to follow him to Staffordshire.
Pélach came to England through Carlos Corberan, who added him to Huddersfield Town’s coaching team. Following Danny Schofield’s departure, ‘Chicho’ briefly took on interim manager duties, leading two matches against Wigan Athletic and Stoke City, utilizing a 4-3-3 formation after Mark Fotheringham’s dismissal in February 2023.
As a player, Pélach was a defender who retired at the young age of 25 to focus on coaching. He initially took charge of Girona’s feeder club before becoming an assistant coach for the first team, a role he lost following a managerial change.
Site Opinion: Stoke’s Quick Moves
Stoke City are moving swiftly to replace Steven Schumacher, with Narcís Pèlach emerging as a key target. Pèlach’s experience in the Championship with Norwich and Huddersfield, along with his brief stints in management, makes him a logical candidate for the role.
Spanish coaches have been popular in the Championship recently, with names like Marti Cifuentes and Carlos Corberan making an impact. Stoke now seems to be joining this trend, looking to Pèlach, a former assistant to Corberan, as they aim to reignite their push for promotion after years of underachievement.
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