Former Premier League manager Chris Coleman has returned to football management with Cypriot minnows Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou.
The 53-year-old made his name as a centre-back with Swansea City, Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers and then Fulham, before taking the managerial reins at Craven Cottage. After his shock sacking by Fulham in 2007, he had unsuccessful spells with Real Sociedad in Spain and then in the Championship with Coventry City.
The Welshman was then briefly manager of Greek second division side Athlitiki Enosi Larissa, where his seven months in charge were brought to an abrupt end because of financial troubles at the club. But he then led his country to its highest ever position in the FIFA World Rankings – 8th – and to a miraculous semi-final showdown with eventual champions Portugal at Euro 2016.
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After failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, he left his post, before a disappointing tenure at Sunderland in the Championship, and then an unlikely and equally underwhelming stint at Chinese club Hebei China Fortune – where he signed Javier Mascherano from Barcelona but was sacked in the relegation zone.
He last worked at Greek outfit Atromitos – resigning in October due to budget cuts after keeping them in the top-flight. And now he has rocked up in Cyprus at Limassol-based Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou (AEL), one of the oldest and most decorated football clubs on the island, who have a capacity of just 11,000 at their Alphamega Stadium.
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In a statement, AEL Union said: “The Board of Directors of AEL is pleased to announce the hiring of Mr. Chris Coleman as the coach of our football team. Mr. Coleman, with long experience and significant successes in his coaching career, will take up his duties immediately.
“Mr. Coleman has rich coaching experience through which he recorded significant successes in his career. In particular, he has been the coach of the National Team of Wales from 2012 to 2017, where he managed to lead it to its most successful course to date, reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016. This success is a historical milestone for the country, which demonstrates his excellent coaching skills.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“In addition, Mr Coleman has worked at a number of high profile clubs including Fulham in the Premier League, Sunderland, Coventry and Real Sociedad in Spain. For the last 1.5 years he was the coach of Atromitos in Greece. His career has been characterised by his ability to improve the performance of the teams he takes over and achieve significant results.
“The appointment of Mr. Coleman highlights the determination of the Board of Directors to raise the level of the football team and to pursue the achievement of the objectives that have been set. We are convinced that his experience, strategic thinking and leadership will be instrumental in achieving our ambitions.
“We welcome Mr. Chris Coleman to the AEL family and wish him every success in his new duties.”