Sunderland could rival Burnley in pursuit of 47-year-old head coach | OneFootball

Sunderland have shown an interest in Raphael Wicky as they continue to search for their new head coach, although they may face competition for him from Burnley.

The Black Cats endured a miserable campaign, which saw them finish in the bottom half, and the season saw the hierarchy make several managerial changes.

Tony Mowbray started the season in charge, but he was surprisingly dismissed, with Michael Beale named as his replacement, but the ex-Rangers chief struggled at the Stadium of Light.

He lasted just two months in charge, with Mike Dodds overseeing the final part of the season, as Sunderland ended with a wretched run.

Sunderland consider Raphael Wicky

Since Beale’s exit back in February, owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman have been looking for a long-term appointment, and a host of names have been linked with the vacancy.

And, in a fresh update, The Sun has revealed that Wicky is a target.

The 47-year-old was most recently in charge of Swiss side BSC Young Boys, and he led them to a league and cup double in his first season in charge.

However, whilst they have gone on to retain their league title, Wicky was sacked back in March, so he is now without a club.

Prior to his work with BSC Young Boys, Wicky was head coach at FC Basel in 2017, having spent years coaching their youth teams, where he impressed.

Wicky also had a spell with the USA U17 side and then MLS outfit Chicago Fire before he returned to Switzerland.

Interestingly, the update does confirm that Wicky is only a potential candidate for the Black Cats, with Will Still remaining the number one choice for Louis-Dreyfus.

If they do formalise their interest in Wicky, there’s no guarantee that he would move to Wearside, as it has been claimed that he is also a target for Burnley, with the Clarets on the lookout for a new boss following Vincent Kompany’s surprise switch to Bayern Munich.

Raphael Wicky would be a bold choice

There’s no denying that this would be a risky move by Sunderland if they did appoint Wicky, as his CV is hardly outstanding.

He did win the league with BSC Young Boys, but they have generally dominated Swiss football recently, winning six of the previous seven titles. Plus, Wicky has already been at three clubs, which is quite a lot for someone who has yet to manage 200 games in his career.

Of course, he has a high level pedigree, having also managed in Europe, and he would encourage a stylish brand of football, but it would be a bold call if he did land the Sunderland job.

Sunderland’s summer plans

Sunderland fans will be growing increasingly frustrated at how this is playing out, but they do need to show a bit more patience as they continue the process.

There’s big pressure on those making the decisions to get this right, and whoever does take over will have to oversee a huge transfer window where some key players will move on.

So, the sooner, the better in terms of naming the next head coach, and it will be intriguing to see who is in place, with an announcement surely getting closer.