BIRMINGHAM CITY boss Pep Clotet will leave the club when the current Championship season ends.
Clotet, who joined the Blues as Garry Monks’ assistant coach in 2018, is believed to have made the decision to leave.
Pep Clotet will be on his way out of Birmingham City at the end of the season. The club are currently nine points above the relegation zoneCredit: PA:Press Association
The club says Clotet expressed a wish to “explore other coaching opportunities”.
And Birmingham’s senior officials praised the 42-year-old’s conduct and said the coach would receive “a fitting send-off”.
Blues chief executive Doug Ren said: “We value Pep very highly and we know how much he loves this club.
“It’s a decision that is filled with sadness for us both.
“Pep came in as a colleague but he will leave as a friend with our gratitude.
“He has done a very good and thorough job for us and has been professional throughout, always putting the club before himself.
“In the meantime, Pep continues to have our full backing and we are all determined to do everything we can to finish the season strongly and give him the fitting send-off he deserves.”
MONK SPAT
The coach’s tenure at St Andrews certainly hasn’t been without its controversial moments with former boss Monk falling out with the Spaniard in spectacular fashion.
Monk, now in charge of Sheffield Wednesday, got into a war of words with his former assistant.
The spat preceded the 40-year-old’s departure from the Midlands club in acrimonious circumstances last year.
Last November Monk is reported to have suggested he regretted hiring Clotet and questioned his former assistant coach’s “character”.
Monk told journalists: “What’s most important to me is when I’m assembling a staff around me and to work with me the key thing is to give them an opportunity and show them complete trust, and you hope that they repay that trust.
“Sadly not everyone has that character.”
Clotet was put in temporary charge after Monk’s departure and in December last year was appointed on a permanent basis.
Birmingham, who are 16th in the Championship, suffered a five-game winless streak prior to the coronavirus pandemic that brought football matches to a halt.
The club, who are currently eight points above the relegation zone, are also nine points off a play-off place, with nine games outstanding.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
