Sunderland have appointed Michael Beale as manager of their Men’s First-Team squad.
Beale’s appointment comes just two months after he had been sacked by Rangers following a difficult start to the season, whilst Sunderland axed Tony Mowbray a fortnight ago (4 December).
Speaking about his decision to join Sunderland, Beale commented: “It’s a huge honour to be joining the Sunderland family and I would like to thank Kyril, Kristjaan and the rest of the Executive Team for the faith and responsibility they have placed in me.
Mike Dodds had served as interim manager for Sunderland’s last three games and will now become Assistant Head Coach, which attracted praise from Beale.
“The existing coaching team deserve huge credit for the way they navigated the interim period and like all of the staff at the Club, they will continue to be vitally important moving forward alongside the incredible fans that make SAFC such an historic and unique Club.
“It’s clear there is some excellent work being done at senior and academy level and I’m excited to support those efforts and implement my own ideas, as we build on the strong identity already established within the Club.”
Sporting Director, Kristjaan Speakman added that the club “are delighted” to sign Beale and explained that the 43 year-old ex QPR boss “… has an excellent and well-founded reputation for developing players and he is an outstanding progressive coach, who is aligned with our playing identity and naturally fits within our structure alongside Mike Dodds and the wider team.”
Sunderland Chairman, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus meanwhile is “thrilled” to sign Beale as he added: “Throughout our discussions, it was clear that he shares our ideals on implementing a high-performance culture and he is committed to a playing style that we feel is central to our progress.
“I would also like to place on record my gratitude to Mike Dodds and our coaching team for not only leading us through the interim period, but for adopting a bold and creative approach that inspired memorable back-to-back wins.
“Alongside Michael, I truly believe our people will continue to drive the Club forward as we enter 2024 with renewed energy, excitement and optimism.”
Beale’s first match in charge of Sunderland will take place on Saturday 23 December against Coventry at Stadium of Light at 3pm GMT in a Championship clash, where the Black Cats sit seventh in the table.
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