Kristjaan Speakman leaves Sunderland as redevelopment phase declared complete | OneFootball

Kristjaan Speakman has left his role as Sunderland’s sporting director.

He arrived in December 2020 and his first match in post brought a 1-0 home defeat to Wigan Athletic, who were bottom of League One, Kyle Joseph scoring just after the quarter-hour.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, the owner and chairman, said in a statement that Speakman made an important contribution during a period of transition, helping to rebuild the club and restore its Premier League status, that strong foundations had been laid over the past five years and that phase is now complete, and that Sunderland would now build with clarity of direction and sustained progress, thanking him for his commitment and wishing him well.

From that low point in the third tier, Sunderland rose to claim two promotions and Wembley memories. Their midweek match brought a narrow defeat against reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.

Head of football operations Florent Ghisolfi has a wide-ranging brief as the club look to push on from an encouraging return to the top flight. The former Roma man led an ambitious and successful summer recruitment drive.

The contrast between the first and final starting elevens of Speakman’s tenure underlines how far the Black Cats have travelled.

Source: Sunderland Echo