Wayne Rooney, the celebrated former Manchester United and England striker, has been dismissed from his role as the manager of Birmingham City, a club competing in England's second-tier league. His tenure, lasting a mere 83 days and encompassing only 15 games, concluded on Tuesday.
Since his appointment in October, Rooney managed to secure only two victories. When he took over, Birmingham City were positioned sixth in the Championship standings. However, under Rooney's management, the team experienced a sharp decline, plummeting to the 20th spot.
The club underwent ownership changes at the beginning of the season, with an acquisition by an enterprise led by American businessman Tom Wagner. Notably, NFL icon Tom Brady also became involved with the club. This new ownership decided to replace the well-liked head coach John Eustace, who had successfully kept the club from relegation in the previous season after a 15-month stint.
In a formal announcement, Birmingham City stated, “Birmingham City has today parted company with manager Wayne Rooney and first-team coach Carl Robinson. Despite their best efforts, results have not met the expectations that were made clear at the outset. Therefore, the board feels that a change in management is in the best interests of the football club.”
The decision followed Birmingham City's 3-0 defeat to Leeds United on Monday. This loss further fueled the discontent among supporters, who had been increasingly vocal in their calls for Rooney's removal.
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(With AP inputs)