A manager linked with Sunderland may be ‘persuaded’ to return to his former club, it has been claimed.
Sunderland sacked Michael Beale last week and have since given Mike Dodds the reins until the summer.
It’s a third spell as interim boss for the 37-year-old, who got off to a poor start over the weekend, losing 2-1 at home to Swansea City.
He now has 12 games to close what is currently an eight-point gap between Sunderland in 10th and Hull City in 6th, with a trip to Norwich City coming up this weekend.
Ahead of the summer, names continue to be linked with the Sunderland vacancy, including Marek Papszun.
Marek Papszun could return to old club Rakow
Papszun, 49, was initially linked with the Sunderland job following Beale’s exit.
The Polish coach is famed for his work with Rakow, whom he won the Polish third tier, second tier, and first tier titles during a seven-year stint, with four domestic cup wins as well.
He left the club at the end of last season as he looks for pastures new, and Papszun is said to be keen on landing the Sunderland job in the summer.
But it’s now been claimed that Papszun could return to Rakow.
Polish football agent Cezary Kucharski says that Rakow are in ‘serious crisis’ right now, sitting 6th in the Ekstraklasa table after winning the league last year.
And Kucharski says that Papszun ‘can be persuaded’ to return to the club, with the three-time Polish Manager of the Year having ‘missed the excitement of football’.
Papszun may already be out of Sunderland running
Papszun seems like an outside shot for the Sunderland job.
He may well be interested in taking charge at the Stadium of Light, but whether the Sunderland owners have an interest in him remains to be seen.
Will Still is Sunderland’s ideal managerial appointment in the summer, whilst former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper may also come into the running.
For Papszun, whether or not a return to Rakow would be in his best interests remains to be seen.
He’s already worked wonders at the club. He has a huge reputation there and in Poland too, and now at 49 years old, it looks like he’s ready to take a big step in his coaching career.
His name is certainly out there and if he doesn’t come further into the running for the Sunderland job, he may well attract interest from elsewhere, as he certainly has an impressive CV.
Sunderland head to Norwich City for a 3pm kick off on Saturday.