After 15 games and nine defeats, Birmingham City has fired Wayne Rooney as manager of the Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham’s owners, Knighthead Capital Management, removed Rooney and first team coach Carl Robinson on Tuesday, following a 3-0 New Year’s Day defeat to Leeds United.
“Despite their best efforts, results have not met the expectations that were made clear at the outset,” Birmingham said in a Tuesday statement. “Therefore, the Board feels that a change in management is in the best interests of the Football Club.”
The club stated that professional development coach Steve Spooner would take over interim coaching duties.
Birmingham CEO Garry Cook said in the statement that “the search for a successor begins with immediate effect.”
Rooney first joined Birmingham in October, leaving his coaching position with D.C. United and pleading to bring “no fear” football to Birmingham.
However, it quickly became clear that Rooney could not pull Birmingham out of its slump, with his first five games seeing four defeats. He was dismissed after just 13 weeks.
“I would like to thank Tom Wagner, Tom Brady and Garry Cook for the opportunity to manage Birmingham City FC and the support they all gave me during my short period with the club,” Rooney said in his own statement. “Football is a results business – and I recognise they have not been at the level I wanted them to be.”
While Rooney argued that the “changes that were needed” could not have been implemented in 13 weeks, he concluded that he would take some time with his family following the setback, and gave his best wishes to the Football Club.
