Sunderland have suffered a significant setback in their pursuit of Danny Rohl.
Sunderland’s dreadful campaign came to an end with a final-day defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. The result meant that the Owls escaped relegation and would remain in the Championship for another season, with Danny Rohl credited with a dramatic turnaround at the club.
The German’s performance at Hillsborough piqued Sunderland’s interest, as they have been looking for a new permanent head coach since Michael Beale was fired in February.
The Black Cats had been widely associated with the Owls manager, who was expected to resign if the club got demoted.
However, the Yorkshire club seemed confident in their ability to retain the German after sealing their Championship status at the Stadium of Light.
Why is Danny Rohl now set to stay at Sheffield Wednesday?
While Sunderland may still be seeking to sign Rohl in the coming weeks, they have now suffered a significant setback in their chase.
According to writer Alex Miller, Wednesday’s owner, Dejphon Chansiri, has now had ‘good’ initial negotiations with Rohl.
He also told The Star that there is a’strong anticipation’ that he would remain at Sheffield Wednesday this summer, with his contract slated to expire in 2025.
Rohl’s situation at Hillsborough is still likely to be dependent on the assurances Chansiri can provide, given the club’s transfer budget has been a major issue in previous years.
He is also thought to desire enhancements to their Middlewood Road training facility, as well as potential additions to his backroom staff.
While Chansiri may yet fail to keep promises to the ‘wonderful’ 35-year-old, it appears unlikely that Rohl would come to Wearside.
Rene Maric may become Danny Rohl 2.0.
However, Sunderland seemed to have accepted defeat in their pursuit of Rohl following their setback on Wednesday.
Will Still has been the subject of much speculation since he announced his departure from Reims this summer, with Rene Maric and Mike Dodds both following each other on Instagram.
Rohl still appears to be the ideal candidate for the Black Cats, but it is not the end of the world if he decides to stay where he is.
Maric feels like Sunderland’s equivalent of the Wednesday coach, having left his playing career early and spent the following nine years as a relatively young coach in Germany and England.
The 31-year-old has worked with some fantastic managers and players and may now look to take his first step into managing in the Championship, following Rohl’s example.
It does feel like a risk for Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, but one that most admirers would undoubtedly support.
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