Stoke City sack Steven Schumacher and target Norwich coach Narcís Pelach

Stoke City is looking to hire Narcís Pelach, the first-team coach at Norwich, as their new manager. They have received approval to discuss the position with the Spaniard following the dismissal of Steven Schumacher.

Pelach became a member of Norwich's coaching team last year under David Wagner and continued in the role when Johannes Hoff Thorup took over in May. Before this, he collaborated with Carlos Corberán, the head coach of West Brom, at Huddersfield Town, where he served as interim manager on two occasions. Additionally, the 36-year-old has experience as an assistant coach at Girona, a club in La Liga.

While he was at Norwich, Pelach shared his coaching philosophy, emphasizing his goal for his teams to take control. “We aim to be the dominant force and attack the game,” Pelach explained. “We want to play with confidence and not be intimidated by our opponents.”

Schumacher, who made the move to Stoke from Plymouth last December, had a contract that ran until 2027 but is departing after playing 32 games. Jon Walters, a former Stoke player and now the technical director, is overseeing the search for Schumacher's replacement. Pelach might end up being Stoke's sixth permanent manager in just five years.

Alex Morris and Ryan Shawcross will step in as interim coaches for the Carabao Cup third-round match against Fleetwood on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Stoke City is optimistic about having Pelach ready to take over for Friday's match against Hull.

Schumacher has left the team following a 1-0 defeat to Oxford, which positioned Stoke in 13th place after they've managed just two wins and suffered three losses in their first five games.

Schumacher came to the club from Plymouth Argyle in December 2023, taking over from Alex Neil. He successfully guided the team to secure their place in the Championship, ending the season in 17th position.

Walters shared with the club's website, "Following continuous talks with our chairman, John Coates, we've decided that it's the right moment to shift our approach in order to achieve success for the club. We have a talented and energetic team that is ready to grow, and we have a solid plan for reaching our goals. We’re looking forward to announcing a new appointment very soon."