West Bromwich Albion‘s search for a new manager has taken a dramatic twist as it has emerged that Raphael Wicky will not join the club.
Previous reports had stated that the Swiss manager was close to being appointed by The Baggies to replace Carlos Corberan, who moved to Valencia at the end of December.
Wicky Deal Collapses
According to news from the Express and Star, Raphael Wicky will not become the next West Brom manager after a breakdown in negotiations between the two parties this morning. The former Young Boys boss had been the standout favourite for The Hawthorns club during the two rounds of interviews.
However, the deal to bring Wicky to the West Midlands collapsed after it emerged that the coaches he would like to bring with him to the club as a package could not make the move. West Brom have now since moved on to look at other candidates.
It is believed that Albion had also interviewed former Manchester United coach Rene Hake as well as ex-Blackburn Rovers and Baggies manager Tony Mowbray over the vacant position. The latter has been in a battle with cancer over the past year, but has previously stated he would like to make a full-time return to football.
Writer’s View
After it looked like it was a nearly done deal, West Brom will now have to step back and go again to find Carlos Corberan’s successor. Raphael Wicky was an exciting if somewhat risky choice, with his Champions League experience being a major pull. However, he is now out of the frame without the coaching staff he would have liked. With Tony Mowbray’s timeframe to recovery outside the window of when The Baggies want to appoint a successor, it may pave the way for Rene Hake to become the next permanent boss at The Hawthorns.
