David Wagner has been sacked as Norwich City manager following the team’s 4-0 play-off loss to Leeds United
Following news of the German’s resignation on Friday morning, the club has officially announced his departure from Carrow Road.
On Thursday night, Wagner presided over the team’s elimination from the promotion race; his last match at Norwich ended in a 4-0 loss to Leeds United.
The 52-year-old led the Canaries to sixth place in the Championship, but their dreams of returning to the top flight were dashed by a 4-0 aggregate loss against Daniel Farke’s team.
After 17 months in command of the Norfolk team, Wagner is no longer in charge and the search for a new head coach has begun.
According to Knapper, Norwich intends to take a different approach with their first team roster.
Wagner was commended for his performance at Carrow Road by the club’s sporting director, but a shift was recommended in order to proceed.
According to Knapper, via the team’s official website, “David has operated with class and dignity throughout his period as Norwich City head coach, but we now feel that the time is right for us to move in a different direction.”
“We are still dedicated to using a methodical and comprehensive approach to enhance our football team throughout the short and long terms.
“The selection of a new head coach holds great significance. We will now get to work and carry out our investigation in order to schedule a meeting as soon as possible.
Wagner managed 75 games at Carrow Road, with 31 victories and 27 defeats.
After taking over from Dean Smith halfway through the previous season, he led the club to a 13th-place finish in the standings.
The team’s improved performance this season allowed them to finish sixth in the Championship rankings and secure a play-off spot.
But the Canaries’ semi-final defeat to Leeds has condemned them to play in the second division for an additional year.
Norwich City’s manager search
Midway through this season, Knapper took over as the team’s newest sporting director, succeeding Stuart Webber in the position.
Before accepting the position at Norwich close to the end of 2023, he was the loan manager at Arsenal.
This will be his first managerial appointment for the team; as recently as February, Arsenal coach Carlos Cuesta was mentioned as a candidate for the position.
Who will be formally appointed is yet unknown, as preseason won’t probably start for another month or two.
Knapper’s era at Norwich begins now
Since taking over as sporting director, Knapper hasn’t really had a chance to make his mark on the team since Wagner was appointed by Webber in January 2023.
He now has the chance to mould the team to his liking by replacing the current manager before the summer arrives.
Wagner is the victim of this behind-the-scenes reorganisation since, given Webber’s continued presence, it is quite likely that he remains in the role.
It will be interesting for fans to see what kind of ideas Knapper has to try and move the team ahead in the short and long terms, as this is a new era for Norwich.
