Former Sunderland, Fulham and Coventry City boss among candidates for Leicester City job – reports
Reports suggest a former Sunderland, Fulham and Coventry City boss is being considered for the Leicester City role
Former Sunderland manager Chris Coleman has been linked with a potential return to English football management after emerging as a candidate for the vacant Leicester City head coach position.
According to Pete O’Rourke, the former Coventry City, Wales and Fulham boss is among the names under consideration as Leicester assess their options following the departure of their previous manager. Coleman is understood to be well known to Leicester’s ownership group due to his previous role at OH Leuven, the Belgian club that forms part of the same multi-club structure.
The connection is believed to be a factor in Coleman’s inclusion on Leicester’s longlist, with his experience of working within that ownership model viewed as a potential advantage during the early stages of the recruitment process.
Coleman’s managerial career spans more than two decades and includes spells across domestic and international football. He has managed over 500 senior matches, working in England, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, China and Belgium, alongside his most notable success as manager of the Wales national team, where he led the country to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
His club career began at Fulham, where he spent four years in charge, before shorter stints at Real Sociedad and Coventry City. Coleman later took on the Wales role, which remains the standout period of his managerial career, before returning to club football with roles at Sunderland, Hebei China Fortune, Atromitos, AEL Limassol, OH Leuven and most recently Asteras Tripolis.
For Sunderland supporters, Coleman’s name inevitably recalls a difficult and turbulent period. He was appointed head coach on 19 November 2017, taking charge of a Championship side already entrenched in the relegation zone following the dismissal of Simon Grayson. The Black Cats were sitting third from bottom at the time, struggling both on and off the pitch.
Coleman’s first match came just two days later, a 2-1 defeat away at Aston Villa, and while results initially stabilised, wider issues quickly began to undermine any recovery. Sunderland collected 11 points from their final eight league matches of 2017, briefly moving out of the bottom three and raising hopes of a survival push.
That momentum was halted by a challenging January transfer window, during which Coleman was informed that then-owner Ellis Short would not commit further funds to squad strengthening, with the club actively being prepared for sale. Recruitment was limited to loans and free transfers, leaving the squad short of quality and depth.
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Several players arrived on short-term deals, but Sunderland’s form deteriorated sharply, culminating in a nine-game winless run. That sequence ended with a 4-1 victory away at Derby County, which proved to be Coleman’s final win in charge.
Relegation to League One was confirmed following a 2-1 defeat at home to Burton Albion, and Coleman was dismissed shortly after the club’s sale was completed, following a final 2-1 loss to Fulham at Craven Cottage. In total, he oversaw 29 matches, winning five, drawing eight and losing 16 during his time on Wearside.