Stoke City has announced the departure of head coach Narcis Pelach, just 19 games into his tenure. The decision comes after a dismal run of results, including a 2-0 defeat at home to Leeds on Boxing Day, which left the Potters languishing in 19th place in the Sky Bet Championship table.
Pelach, who was appointed in September at the age of 36, won just three of the 18 league games he oversaw, and his side has lost five of their last six league games. The Catalan coach’s departure was confirmed by the club on Friday night, with sporting director Jon Walters expressing his gratitude for Pelach’s efforts.
“Narcis is a talented coach with huge potential, and he works relentlessly hard,” Walters said on the club’s official website. “I have no doubt that he will go on to achieve success in the future. However, with the way results and performances have been in recent weeks, we have to accept that he has proved not to be the right fit for this club at this time.”
Walters took full responsibility for the appointment and vowed to make the right choice to take the club forward. “Every decision we make is driven by our love of Stoke City and absolute determination to bring success to the club,” he added.
The Potters are yet to announce the make-up of their coaching team for Sunday’s game against high-flying Sunderland, as they begin their search for a new head coach to steer them clear of the relegation zone.