"My best was not enough" - Narcis Pelach's first words after Stoke City sacking | OneFootball

Narcis Pelach broke his silence after being sacked by Stoke City

Narcis Pelach was relieved of his duties as Stoke City manager on Friday evening after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Leeds United on Boxing Day.

The Spaniard won just three of his 19 games as Potters boss after taking over from Steven Schumacher in September, and he's admitted that his best wasn't good enough in what was his first job in senior management.

Pelach's sacking felt inevitable after a run of results which had seen them fail to record a win since the 6th November, and with just three points separating Stoke and the relegation zone, the club felt that they needed to take decisive action.

Despite being sacked just a couple of months into a three-year deal, Pelach thanked the club for giving him the opportunity to take his first steps into senior management, and wished Stoke all the best.

Narcis Pelach breaks silence after Stoke City sacking

After his sacking on Friday, Pelach sent a message to the club and its supporters, thanking them for giving him an opportunity, and it was clear that he had no hard feelings despite his sacking.

The Spaniard said: "It did not go the way I wanted and I am sorry for that.

"I did everything I could and unfortunately my best was not enough. I am really grateful to John Coates and John Walters for giving me this opportunity.

"I am sending a BIG thank you to the players who have given me a lot of respect, affection and enthusiasm. Also, to the staff for the support received.

"I genuinely wish Stoke City and the fans all the very best. THANK YOU."

After a tough first job in senior management, Pelach will be looking for another role elsewhere in the near future, and he'll be hoping to prove the Potters' hierarchy wrong after they parted ways with him.

Rotherham United kick off their season away at Stoke City.

There's no denying that results weren't good enough, but the Stoke job has proven to be a poisoned chalice in recent seasons, and there aren't many managers who have emerged with credit after being sacked by the Potters.

Stoke have now had six permanent managers since relegation to the Championship in 2018, and other than perhaps Michael O'Neill, who enjoyed the longest spell in charge and led them to a number of mid-table finishes, none of the managers have been a success.

This means that Pelach shouldn't be too disheartened by how his time at The bet365 Stadium went, as he's far from the only manager to have struggled at Stoke.