Carlos Carvalhal sends message to Sheffield Wednesday fans | OneFootball

Carlos Carvalhal is set for a return to Hillsborough later this year

Sheffield Wednesday supporters will always have a soft spot for former manager Carlos Carvalhal.

The 60-year-old oversaw back-to-back top six finishes in the Championship during his spell in charge at Hillsborough.

The Portuguese coach took over in the summer of 2015, which was his first managerial role in almost three years.

But he was an instant success for the Yorkshire outfit, who finished sixth in the table before missing out on promotion to the Premier League with a defeat to Hull City in the play-off final.

The Owls finished fourth in the following campaign, but again suffered heartbreak in the post-season, losing to Huddersfield Town on penalties in the semi-finals.

Sheffield Wednesday are now planning for life back in League One, with Henrik Pedersen’s side having suffered relegation from the second tier.

Carlos Carvalhal sends message to Sheffield Wednesday supporters

Carvalhal is set for an evening in front of Sheffield Wednesday supporters, alongside the 2016 play-off squad, as he is set to appear at a reunion dinner on 8 May.

He has sent a message to supporters ahead of the event expressing his excitement at getting to reunite with the squad from 10 years ago.

The 60-year-old is also looking forward to getting to see the Owls supporters again after they have endured a very turbulent campaign under Pedersen.

“Will be fantastic to see my players, friends and SWFC supporters,” wrote Carvalhal, via his personal X account.

The evening will take place in the Charlton Suit at Hillsborough Stadium just a few days following the conclusion of the current Championship campaign.

Pedersen’s side already know their fate at this point, with a 2-1 loss to rivals Sheffield United in February being the moment they were officially relegated.

This was the club’s third year back in the second division after gaining promotion under Darren Moore in 2023.

Danny Rohl oversaw 20th and 12th place finishes in their first two terms, but he departed last summer, which led to Pedersen stepping up from his role as an assistant to become head coach.

Carvalhal departed Sheffield Wednesday in 2017 after the team were unable to maintain their play-off form.

He has since managed the likes of Swansea City, Rio Ave and returned to his old club Braga.

His most recent role was a third stint at Braga, coming back in August 2024 before exiting at the end of that campaign.

Next up for Sheffield Wednesday, who are currently in administration, is a trip to face Derby County on 7 March in a 3pm kick-off.

Carlos Carvalhal reunion will be welcome at Hillsborough

Carvalhal may not have quite got the club back to the Premier League, but the two top six finishes under his management were the closest the team have come in quite some time.

Sheffield Wednesday have been outside of the Premier League since 2000, and those two seasons are their only times qualifying for the play-offs in the Championship in their 26 years outside of the top flight.

So his return for this event will be more than welcome by supporters, who could use an evening like this to remember the better times they’ve enjoyed.

If the Owls have a new owner in place by then, supporters may start to feel some optimism that the good times could return again in the near future after a horrendous last 12 months.