Norwich have sacked boss David Wagner less than 24 hours after the Canaries were thrashed 4-0 by Leeds in their Championship play-off semi-final second leg.
Wagner had been in charge at Carrow Road since January 2023, overseeing a 13th-place finish in 2022-23 and sixth in 2023-24.
But goals from Ilia Gruev, Joel Piroe, Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville ended Norwich’s faint hopes of promotion through the play-offs this season, leading the Canaries to decide to roll the managerial dice again this summer.
The German’s job had been under threat for some time, dating back to Norwich’s slump to 17th in November, and he is reported to have a fractured relationship with sporting director Ben Knapper.
After the final day defeat at Birmingham, Wagner praised Knapper’s predecessor Stuart Webber for his support but did not mention the current exec.
An official club statement is expected later today after Thursday night’s Elland Road battering ensured the Canaries will spend their third consecutive season in the Championship.
Norwich have been linked with Arsenal coach Carlos Cuesta as a potential replacement, while Steve Cooper and Liam Rosenior have also both been discussed.
Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones are no longer majority shareholders, with American Mark Attanasio also owning 40 per cent of the Norfolk side, making this a turbulent time at Carrow Road.
Wagner, who was Jurgen Klopp’s best man, has struggled to build on his success with Huddersfield Town, guiding them into the Premier League in 2016-17 and ensuring their survival the following season.
A dire stint at FC Schalke 04 lasted just four months as the then-Bundesliga side would go on to get relegated later that season, before he failed to win the Swiss Super League with reigning champions Young Boys.
After the Leeds defeat, Wagner said: “This is super disappointing, we were very poor and it really hurts.
“Obviously a poor performance from us, Leeds were very good. Everything which you should not do we have done. We conceded very easy avoidable goal very early.
“You never know what occasions like this make with individuals. Tonight we were poor. It was a huge one, great occasion where we were not able to come to our level unfortunately. This is one reason, the other is we have to say the truth, Leeds were very good.
“If you consider where we’ve come from last season, finished 13th, now made a step, finished in the play-offs, competitive in the first leg, absolutely not competitive in the second, against a very good Leeds side.
“Everyone has seen what they are capable of doing, with a lot of problems we have seen this season. Everyone has seen the difference tonight between Leeds and us.”
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