Sunderland AFC has confirmed the appointment of Michael Beale as their new head coach.
Beale has signed a contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2026.
The 43-year-old has been named as the successor to Tony Mowbray, who parted ways with the club earlier this month.
Beale’s appointment comes after an 11-week interim period during which Sunderland spoke to several potential candidates.
Among them was Will Still, the Reims boss. However, Beale was ultimately chosen as the right person for the job.
In a statement, Beale expressed his immense honour in joining the Sunderland family.
He thanked the club’s executive team for the faith and responsibility they have placed in him.
He also praised the existing coaching team for their work during the interim period.
Beale stated that he looks forward to supporting their efforts and implementing his ideas.
Mike Dodds, who helped the club secure two wins over West Brom and Leeds, has been named as Beale’s assistant head coach.
Meanwhile, Michael Proctor and Alessandro Barcherini will continue in their respective roles.
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Before joining Sunderland, Beale managed QPR in the Championship.
He led the team to the top of the Championship table before turning down a move to the Premier League with Wolves in October 2022.
Beale then became Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Rangers, where they won the Premiership title in 2020-21.
However, he was eventually dismissed after just six league games of the next campaign.
Sunderland Sporting Director, Kristjaan Speakman, said that Michael’s appointment was the result of a careful and thorough process of identifying the right candidate to take the club forward.
Speakman praised Beale’s reputation for developing players and his progressive coaching style.
He also emphasized that Beale’s approach is aligned with the club’s playing identity and structure.
Beale’s first match in charge of Sunderland will be against Coventry at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
