Sheff Wed manager Darren Moore leaves club by mutual consent only 47 days ahead of Championship season; Moore guided Owls back to second tier last month with play-off win over Barnsley at Wembley; Chairman Dejphon Chansiri says ‘both parties’ believed it was time to part ways
Sheffield Wednesday have announced manager Darren Moore has left the club by mutual consent – only three weeks after leading them to promotion to the Championship.
Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri told the club website “both parties” believed it was the right time for Moore to leave the club, despite the club’s success in returning to the second tier after two seasons in League One.
Moore’s Owls side racked up 96 points in League One last season but were consigned to the play-offs with Ipswich and Plymouth pipping them at the post after amassing 98 and 101 points respectively.
There they mounted an unprecedented comeback to overturn a 4-0 deficit from their play-off semi-final first leg against Peterborough to reach Wembley, where they beat Barnsley 1-0 in extra time on May 29.
Speaking after their heroic League One play-off final victory, Sheffield Wednesday manager reveals just how they pulled off a stunning comeback in the semi-finals against Peterborough.
But 21 days later, the club is looking for its sixth manager in less than five years, with Moore’s backroom staff also leaving Hillsborough alongside him.
Chairman Dejphon Chansiri told the club website: “Both parties believe that now is the right time we go our separate ways.
“The journey of Sheffield Wednesday with Darren has been in many ways unique and always as a team. In the football industry, journeys come to an end and now is that time, which we both agree.
“The mutual respect we have for each other is immense on a personal and professional basis and I offer my sincere thanks for the dedication and commitment Darren has given to our club.
“Darren will always be welcome at Hillsborough.”
Highlights of the Sky Bet League One play-off final between Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday.
‘Nobody saw this coming’
Sky Sports News’ Tim Thornton:
“Nobody saw this coming, nobody expected this to happen. Darren Moore took a lot of credit for their promotion, first and foremost for the season Sheff Wed had. In any other season, 96 points would’ve been enough to get them promoted.
“In the play-offs and that remarkable turnaround, captain Barry Bannan talked about how Darren Moore had masterminded their comeback, and then the drama with Josh Windass scoring the winner in the last minute at Wembley.
“Moore’s reputation was enhanced and it’s interesting that the statement says both parties believe this is the right time to go – there was certainly no sense of that after the game at Wembley when everyone was looking forward to the new season.
“It leaves Sheffield Wednesday in a very difficult situation.”