Stoke City have sacked their head coach Steven Schumacher following Saturday’s defeat to Oxford United.
Schumacher, 40, oversaw the Potters 1-0 defeat over the weekend – leaving them 13th in the Championship with just two wins from their opening five games.
He had left Plymouth back in December to take the Potters job, but his reign has come to an end after nine months at the helm of Stoke. Jon Walters said: “My role as Sporting Director is to make tough decisions that serve the long-term interests of Stoke City.
“After ongoing discussions with John Coates, we feel the time is right for a change in direction to bring success to the club.
“We have a young, dynamic squad that is eager to develop and a clear vision of how to achieve success, and we hope to announce a new appointment shortly. We will need the fans, staff, and players united in support to achieve our goals.
“As always in football, these decisions are difficult, and we wish Steven and his staff all the best for the future.”
Stoke’s next game comes on Wednesday evening as they welcome Fleetwood Town to the bet365 Stadium in the Carabao Cup third round. The Potters then have a crunch Championship fixture with strugglers Hull City, also at home, on Friday evening.
Mark Hughes, Chris Cohen, Peter Cavanagh and Elliot Turner have also left the club, leading to Alex Morris and Ryan Shawcross taking caretaker charge of the team.
Chair John Coates added: “Steven, Mark, Chris, Peter and Elliot depart with our thanks for their efforts and with our best wishes for their future careers. We have faith in the squad of players we have assembled and firmly believe they can bring success to Stoke City this season.
“I continue to be hugely thankful to the Club’s fans for their loyal and passionate support.”
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