Birmingham City are finally set to name their new manager, who has previously managed Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough.
However it comes with confusion after reports on Tuesday night claimed an agreement couldn’t be reached, 10 hours later and it’s a completely different story.
The St Andrew’s side failed to win a game since the restart of the Championship season, picking up just three points from a possible 27 to finish two places and two points above the relegation spots.
He will come in as Pep Clotet’s replacement, the Spaniard left as head coach on the 8th of July following a 3-1 defeat by Swansea, after initially being set to see out the season.
Aitor Karanka is trending with rumours he had an interview with Birmingham City today
You can still get 3/1 he is appointed their new manager… ??#BCFC
— The Sack Race (@thesackrace) July 20, 2020
It looks to be Aitor Karanka, a former manager of Middlesbrough, he was with them between 2013 and 2017, taking them up by finishing as Championship runner up in the 2015/16 season.
Though he got the chop in March 2017 after being winless in their last 10 Premier League games and sitting in the relegation zone, three points from safety with 11 games remaining.
Just under a year later, he then took charge of Nottingham Forest, though in January 2019, he departed the club after having asked to be released from his contract; he left the team in seventh position, four points behind the play-off places.
Aitor Karanka has previously rejected an offer to take over at Birmingham in 2017, though journalists say he is keen in taking over this time around. As mentioned, fans were left confused by this tweet last night…
We understand that #BCFC and Aitor Karanka have been unable to reach an agreement. The reasons why are currently unclear, but the club are now pursuing another candidate.
— We Are Birmingham (@WeAreBirmingham) July 28, 2020
He hasn’t been in the top six bookies favourites for the job until this week, with him currently topping the Sky Bet odds at 4/9. With the manager in ‘advanced talks’ with becoming the new Birmingham boss, he’s also in the running at La Liga side Valencia.
According to the Athletic, Valencia owner Peter Lim (who also owns a 40% share of League Two club Salford) is currently working through the process of appointing a new boss from his home in Singapore due to the coronavirus pandemic.
KARANKA’S CAREER STATS:
Middlesbrough – 13 November 2013 until 16 March 2017 – 171 games, 80 wins, 42 draws, 49 defeats, 46.8 % win
Nottingham Forest – 8 January 2018 until 11 January 2019 – 52 games, 16 wins, 19 draws, 17 defeats, 30.8 % win
Total – 223 games, 96 wins, 61 draws, 66 defeats, 43.0 % win
POSITIONS:
2013/14: 12th (half a Championship season)
2014/15: 4th (lost playoff final to Norwich)
2015/16: 2nd (promoted from the Championship)
2016/17: Sacked at 19th in the Premier League
2017/18: 17th (half a Championship season)
2019/20: 7th (half a Championship season)
He is recognised at Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest as a good manager who prefers to playing a 4-2-3-1 formation.
After being asked if he was keen to get another club, he told BBC Radio 5 Live last month: “Yes, but this pandemic, this moment has been good for something and one thing is you need to realise that football is not all in life.
“So now I think there are much, much more important things than football.
“I’ve been out for 16 months, I know now that it will be difficult because everyone is trying to adapt to the new times.
“I’ve been out for 16 months but I’m not this crazy manager who wants to be on the pitch everyday, so I need to find the right place like I did in your mighty Boro, I want to wait for the right time, I’m not in a hurry, let’s wait and see.”
He a Spanish former footballer who played mainly as a central defender (occasionally, he occupied the left back position).
He played solely in Spain for Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid, appearing in 275 La Liga matches over 13 seasons and winning a total of six honours with the latter.
Karanka started a managerial career in the late 2000s, notably working as an assistant at Real Madrid to Jose Mourinho.
There has been plenty of speculation over who may be taking over at the Midlands club with so many linked, including the likes of Chris Hughton, Nigel Clough and Lee Bowyer all being mentioned.
Neil Warnock was also one of those among the favourites to get the job, before heading to the Riverside Stadium to replace Jonathan Woodgate.
There was plenty of reaction with Birmingham set to name their new manager in Karanka…
What a club Birmingham City are. Down and out & then like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, Big Wilf comes & puts all journalists/fan sites in their place.
These 2 tweets are 10 hours apart, you couldn’t write it. Karanka incoming. #BCFC #Kro pic.twitter.com/T8UuvyV2ph
— James Ashfield (@JimDeanAsh) July 29, 2020
All I will say is IF we do appoint Karanka every person who claimed to have inside info clearly really doesn’t #bcfc
— Jon Merrell (@IMRMEZZI) July 29, 2020
Good luck to Aitor. They’ve got themselves a good manager there.
— Debs??❤️ (@deblee_smith) July 29, 2020
Garry Monk didn’t fail at Blues and Karanka didn’t fail at Forest or Boro so don’t know what you’re on about there.
— Sean_The_Blue?????????⚽ (@SeanDaBlue) July 29, 2020
If given the time and support he will be a good coach for @BCFC . I wish him well in his new job
— Egor The Red (@EgorTheRed) July 29, 2020
I thought it had all fallen through? I wont believe it until its officially announced. Presumably Karanka has agreed that Ren can sign players, pick the team and select the tactics.
— Steven Horne (@sahinbrum) July 29, 2020
Although I feel we’ve missed a trick going in for Paul Cook I feel Karanka could be a good appointment (if all is true) but he needs backing and upstairs still needs drastically changing, until then I feel we’ll just be watching managers come and go #bcfc #kro
— George Robotham (@GeorgeRobotham) July 29, 2020
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