Rob Edwards was on holiday abroad when he saw rumours on social media that he was about to be sacked as Wolves head coach. The 43-year-old had been given assurances by the club only weeks earlier that they were behind him after relegation from the Premier League. But late on Wednesday night, Edwards’s camp asked the club about the reports – and on Thursday morning the club confirmed his dismissal in a phone call.
Wolves are poised to appoint César Peixoto as his replacement. The 46-year-old Portuguese manager, represented by Jorge Mendes’s Gestifute agency, led Gil Vicente to sixth place in the Primeira Liga this season. Gestifute has a close relationship with Wolves’ Chinese owner Fosun, which has regularly appointed its clients as head coaches.
“Rob Edwards was sacked as Wolves head coach after discovering rumours on social media, with César Peixoto set to replace him.”
Edwards’s assistants Harry Watling and Paul Trollope are also leaving. The news has come as a huge shock, leaving even senior club staff stunned. Edwards had been instrumental in planning for next season: he featured in the video announcing Raúl Jiménez’s return on Tuesday evening and was a major factor in signing former England defender Kieran Trippier on a free from Newcastle. Together with technical director Matt Jackson, Edwards was planning further signings and recently attended a fans’ forum where he outlined the need for a cultural reset.
Announcing the decision, Wolves said: “Following a comprehensive review at the conclusion of the season, the club has determined that a change in leadership is necessary as Wolves enters the next stage of its development.” The club added they recognised the “significant challenges” faced by Edwards and paid tribute to his “commitment and professionalism”, but had “ultimately concluded that a different sporting direction would provide the strongest platform for future success”.
The executive chair, Nathan Shi, called it an “extremely difficult decision” for which Wolves paid £4m in compensation to Middlesbrough when they hired Edwards in November. “It was about determining what we believe gives Wolves the strongest opportunity to move forward from a sporting perspective,” Shi said. Edwards won just five of his 30 games in all competitions, losing 16, as Wolves finished bottom of the Premier League. At a Q&A last month, he said: “We’re the worst team in the league. That’s the bottom line.”
Edwards had left a Championship promotion race with Middlesbrough to replace Vítor Pereira. He signed a three-and-a-half-year deal in November. “There were assurances that it would be a long-term plan but I’m aware, like anyone, that when you go into this job it is a results-based business,” he said last month. Now, the club he hoped to rebuild will do so without him.