LONDON: Stoke City manager Michael O’Neill has stepped down for his joint role as coach of Northern Ireland.
O’Neill had been Northern Ireland manager for eight years, leading the side to Euro 2016, but joined English second division side Stoke in November.
He vowed to job share until after Northern Ireland’s Euro 2020 play-offs. But with the games against Bosnia-Herzegovina being postponed from March and then June because of the Covid-19 pandemic, he has now decided to concentrate on Stoke.
“After careful consideration and following discussions with the Irish FA I feel it is only fair that now is the right time for me to step aside,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
“It was important to leave the association and team in the strongest possible shape in order to not only have the best chance of qualifying for Euro 2021, but allow the new manager time to build upon the success that we have had during my eight-year tenure.” – dpa
from Sport https://ift.tt/3ayU89c
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