Stoke City confirm Narcis Pelach as new head coach as backroom team revealed.
Breaking news from the bet365 Stadium as Narcis Pelach is unveiled as the new Stoke City head coach.
Narcis Pelach is new head coach at Stoke City. The 36-year-old leaves Norwich to sign a three-year contract at the bet365 Stadium and replace Steven Schumacher, tasked with hauling Stoke up the Championship table.
He will be joined by a backroom team including Norwich coach Paul Clements and performance analyst Harrison Glew, as well as former Stoke midfielder Dean Whitehead, who is leaving Barnsley to return to his old club.
Pelach was in the stands to watch Stoke beat Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup last night and he will take charge of a Championship game against Hull on Friday (8pm) at the bet365 Stadium.
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“I feel a great excitement and sense of responsibility to Stoke City and can’t thank John Coates and Jon Walters enough for giving me this opportunity,” he said. “I’ve had other chances to become a head coach in England and in other countries. But once I saw in their eyes how passionate they are about the club and how much they want to embrace a different identity and philosophy, I could not refuse and, once I’m in, I’m all in.
“I know the league, I know the opposition and I already know about our players. The level of the squad is good. I believe in them and I will create a playing style that suits their qualities.
“The methodology will be different, the training will be intense every day, sometimes it won’t be comfortable and players and coaches will be challenged a lot. But, if we get it right and do something together that owners, players, supporters and staff emotionally believe in, there are no limits to what we can achieve.”
