New Stoke City boss was wanted in Premier League
Narcis Pelach will take charge of his first Stoke match tonight
Two Premier League clubs tried to lure Narcis Pelach into their coaching set-ups this summer, says Jon Walters, as he takes charge of his first game at Stoke City.
Pelach has had opportunities to take on different jobs while he has been building his reputation under David Wagner and Carlos Corberan at Norwich and Huddersfield, but it is fair to say that he wasn’t a familiar name to many Stoke supporters before Monday morning.
Walters, however, had been doing his homework to find someone to fit the right profile as the first head coach he has appointed as Stoke sporting director.
Walters said: “I’ve known about Narcis for a long time – he will probably be surprised how long. I’ve known him from Girona and people who speak of him very well, including Bojan and Muni, who are just two small references. Then coming over, following Pep and Bielsa for a while and Corberan taking him to Huddersfield and working with different coaches there. I know what players say about him there and what players say about him at Norwich, how he demands things and puts identity into his coaching set-up.
From other people outside the game I know that two Premier League clubs tried to take him over the summer as a number two, I know managers at European clubs, big European clubs wanted to take him. There is a lot I know about him! It’s an exciting young head coach who speaks well and has to back that up on the pitch and deliver something that we can get excited about.”
Pelach will be on the sidelines at the bet365 Stadium tonight as Stoke take on Hull in the Championship (8pm).
