Financially, this is proof Wales cannot compete with club football
THERE was always the danger that Chris Coleman would walk away from Wales after almost six years in the job. But Sunderland? We say it again. Sunderland AFC? Rock bottom of the Championship and staring League One football in the face.
From managing in the Euro 2016 semi-finals, Coleman could be taking his team to Rochdale, Fleetwood and MK Dons next season.
As it is, one of his first games in charge of his new club will be away to Burton Albion next Saturday.
Hardly the glamour of the Uefa Champions League that Coleman openly stated was his big ambition in club football in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with Panama.
Coleman leaves the Wales job with the goodwill of the Welsh public, having given us an unprecedented journey of incredible and never to be forgotten highs.
But there will be thousands of fans out there questioning the choice of club Coleman has made as he parts company with Wales.
We understand Coleman told the FAW hierarchy in the aftermath of the Panama match that he had another job offer. Turns out that was Sunderland.
Desperate not to lose their man, the FAW worked frantically to try to put in place a package that would enable them to keep their manager.
Coleman wanted improvements to the Wales team’s training HQ. Agreement was given. He also wanted fulltime deals for members of his backroom staff.
When it became clear Coleman was prepared to walk if he wasn’t given his way, the FAW attempted to come up with various packages that would persuade him to stay.
The FAW historically do not pay their managers big bucks, not by football standards anyhow. But they were ready to push the boat out to make Coleman easily the highest paid manager in Wales’ history. By a country mile, in fact.
However, even those sums on offer could not match the £1m a year Coleman will be netting with Sunderland. Financially, Wales simply cannot compete with club football.
The FAW’s typical annual turnover is around £10m. They are a not for profit organisation. They are responsible for the game as a whole throughout Wales, helping fund every aspect of the sport from youth and grassroots, through the women’s game, to Coleman’s senior men’s side.
The FAW budget could only stretch so far. Unfortunately, it was never going to stretch enough.
The FAW’s five-man executive did meet in Cardiff yesterday to try to crunch the numbers. But Coleman pretty quickly rejected what was on offer and grudgingly there has been a parting of the ways.
Deep down, Coleman always wanted to call it a day with Wales after our World Cup fate was known. He has been open in stating his desire to return to club management, admitting he misses the day to day involvement.
But the public love displayed from his players, who pleaded with Coleman to stay, and the fans, who sung “We don’t want you to go”, tugged at his soul. Coleman was bound to be swayed by that.
He was further energised by the emergence of teen talents such as Ben Woodburn and Ethan Ampadu, players who suddenly gave the Wales team a much-needed extra dimension. But at the back of his mind Coleman must also have wondered if he had taken the team as far as he could. I mean, how on earth does it get better than the joy he helped give us in France 2016?
Coleman admitted on Tuesday night he didn’t know whether or not he had taken charge of his last game with Wales. Unfortunately, very quickly it became clear that he had.
He informed the FAW on Friday of his decision to go.
So what happens next? Well Sunderland, at some point, will officially announce Coleman as their new manager, although the cat is well and truly out of the bag on that one!
Since Coleman was appointed Wales boss in 2012, the Black Cats have had seven different permanent managers – Martin O’Neill, Paolo di Canio, Gus Poyet, Dick Advocaat, Sam Allardyce, David Moyes and Simon Grayson.
Whether Coleman can spend more time in the hot-seat than they did remains to be seen.
Wales, in the meantime, will begin the hunt for their own new boss.
Ryan Giggs is already red-hot favourite. He is the man the FAW have coveted before. Suddenly, Manchester United playing and coaching commitments out of the way, Giggs is available. Whoever gets the job though is going to have one heck of a task matching the feats of Chris Coleman. He is a Welsh managerial legend. His exploits have already gone into Welsh football folklore.
Farewell Cookie... and thanks for the memories.