Championship club continues to rely on former Flick assistant
Until 2027: German coach Röhl remains in office at second division club Sheffield
Sheffield Wednesday
23.05.24 - 23:37
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The English second division team Sheffield Wednesday, a newly promoted team, found themselves in the middle of a relegation battle back to the third division for a long time. But the club managed to avoid relegation - thanks in part to the German coach Danny Röhl, who is getting the reward he deserves.
German coach Danny Röhl jumped off the cliff with Sheffield Wednesday to avoid relegation to the English third division.
German coach Danny Röhl jumped off the cliff with Sheffield Wednesday to avoid relegation to the English third division.IMAGO/FocusImages
Danny Röhl (35) has extended his contract with English second division club Sheffield Wednesday until June 30, 2027. The German football coach will thus continue his work in the English Championship.
Röhl is certainly still known to some as assistant coach of FC Bayern Munich during the successful sextuple period in 2020 under Hansi Flick , and later as assistant to the German national team. Röhl has also worked under current Wolfsburg coach Ralph Hasenhüttl during his time at FC Southampton (2018 to 2019) - as well as at RB Leipzig.
After these successful years of training, Röhl's first hour as head coach came in 2023, when he was signed by England's second division promoted team Sheffield Wednesday - when the club had already found itself with its back against the wall after 13 games without a win in the Championship with just three points.
"It was a dance on the razor's edge"
ON THE SUBJECT
Coach profile Danny Röhl
Röhl in kicker interview
The current contract extension until 2027 is a logical decision that Röhl and the club made, as the coach had collected 50 points in the final 35 games since taking office on October 13, 2023, leading the club from 24th and last place to 20th place and thus preventing relegation. In the last six games of the season, Röhl's team remained completely unbeaten and picked up 14 points, giving them a final tally of 53. Birmingham City, the best of the three relegated teams, had only three fewer. Whereas 42 and 43 points were enough to stay in the league years ago, in the 2023/24 season it had to be at least the 51 that Plymouth achieved.
"We even had to win the last game," says Röhl, "although many people thought we could afford a defeat, but the competition also won." So, at the finish line, it had to be four wins and two draws in a series without defeat in order to avoid relegation. "It was a walk on the razor's edge," admits Röhl. "It's just a tough, balanced league." But his team is characterized by "a good mentality," "the boys never gave up."
Continuity in my own career is good for me too.
DANNY RÖHL ON STAYING AT SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
So the Zwickau native and master's degree graduate from the German Sport University Cologne in the field of match analysis, although he had also been in contact with Bundesliga and second division teams from his home country Germany as well as with several clubs from the Championship plus a first division team from France, decided "after very good discussions" with the club owner to stay in England, where he feels completely at home.
"Continuity in my own career is good for me," he says. "It is helpful for my personal development to continue here." He wants to take his team to the next level of development in the coming season. "It would be good if we could stabilize and develop the whole thing," says the Sheffield Wednesday coach, looking to the future, "and a place in the top ten of the league would be a good next step." To this end, it is "essential that we improve our squad." The club boss has been informed of this.
Röhl will spend part of the upcoming European Championship in Germany from June 14 to July 14 as a commentator for an English TV station. After a vacation, he will start preparing for the 2024/25 season on June 28.
On the topic: "All transfers go through my desk" - Röhl in kicker interview