Chris Coleman was manager of Fulham from 2003 until 2007. A former player, Chris took over from Jean Tigana after he was dismissed late in the 2002-03 season and helped secure the club as a Premier League team. To date, he holds the club record for the youngest manager to take charge of the first team.
Career[]
Before Fulham[]
Chris had an accomplished playing career in which he represented Wales on 31 occasions, ending his career as captain of Fulham where he was forced to retire following injuries sustained in a car crash at the start of 2001.
Fulham (2002-2007)[]
After announcing his premature retirement from playing in October 2002, Chris duly joined the coaching staff under Jean Tigana the same month having already completed his coaching badges.
After a run of poor results, Jean Tigana was sacked on 17 April 2003 with five games of the 2002-03 season remaining. Chris was named as caretaker manager to oversee the tailend of the campaign, winning three matches and securing a 14th placed finish for the Whites.
It was announced on 15 May 2003 that Chris had officially been appointed as Fulham's manager. Despite his relatively young age of 32, he had beaten other more experienced candidates such as Klaus Toppmöller and George Burley to the post.
Despite many pundits tipping Fulham to get relegated in 2003-04 and for Chris to be sacked, he had a good start to his managerial career by achieving a 9th placed finish.
Chris managed to attain mid-table security over the next two seasons, and this was despite losing key players such as Louis Saha, Edwin van der Sar & Steed Malbranque amongst others. However, 2006-07 would be his last season in charge of Fulham. Despite a reasonably good start to the season, results fell away and the club fell into a relegation battle after only one win in eighteen matches. Chris was sacked on 10 April 2007.
After Fulham[]
Having been recommended by fellow Welshman John Toshack, Chris moved abroad to manage Real Sociedad on 4 July 2007; the Spanish side had recently been relegated from the top tier of Spanish football, La Liga. However, it wasn't a great spell in charge and Chris resigned from the job only several months later.
He then returned to England to manage Coventry City in the Championship in February 2008 and stayed at the club for a little over two years before he was sacked following a 19th placed finish. Another short spell abroad would follow, this time at Cypriot club AEL, but his time there would be short with another resignation after a few months owing to financial difficulties at the club.
Following the tragic death of Wales manager and former player Gary Speed, Chris was appointed as Wales manager in January 2012. He eventually led his country to their best FIFA rankings they had achieved a the time, 8th. He also led them to their first ever major tournament in nearly 60 years, qualifying for the 2016 European Championships. After finishing top of their group, they progressed to the Semi-finals where they lost to eventual champions Portugal.
Unfortunately, Wales failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and Chris resigned as manager on 17 November 2017. Two days later, he was confirmed as the new manager of struggling Sunderland, a club with a large fanbase that found themselves in the relegation zone of the Championship. Despite his best efforts, the club was in turmoil and with results not improving, he was relived of his duties in April 2018.
Chris then moved abroad again, this time to China to manage Hebei where he spent a solitary season, before having a brief time out of the game.
In January 2022, Chris was appointed as manager of Atromitos, a Greek top tier side. He spent over year and a half with the club before he resigned in October 2023.
Fulham Statistics[]
Season | Competition | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Win % | ||
2002-03 | Premier League | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 60% |
FA Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | --% | |
League Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | --% | |
Total | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 60% | |
2003-04 | Premier League | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 52 | 46 | +6 | 37% |
FA Cup | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 50% | |
League Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0% | |
Total | 45 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 61 | 52 | +9 | 38% | |
2004-05 | Premier League | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 52 | 60 | -8 | 32% |
FA Cup | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 40% | |
League Cup | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 75% | |
Total | 47 | 17 | 10 | 20 | 70 | 70 | 0 | 36% | |
2005-06 | Premier League | 38 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 48 | 58 | -10 | 37% |
FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0% | |
League Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 50% | |
Total | 41 | 15 | 6 | 20 | 56 | 67 | -11 | 37% | |
2006-07 | Premier League | 33 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 34 | 52 | -18 | 21% |
FA Cup | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 50% | |
League Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0% | |
Total | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 44 | 63 | -19 | 24% | |
Total | 176 | 61 | 44 | 71 | 237 | 256 | -19 | 35% |
Career honours[]
Individual
• Championship Manager of the Month
Winner (1): February 2009
Fulham squads[]
2002-03 squad | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. van der Sar
2. Finnan
3. Brevett
4. Melville
5. Coleman
6. Inamoto
7. Marlet
8. Clark
9. Sava
10. Collins
11. Boa Morte
12. Taylor
13. Flitney
14. Malbranque
15. Hayles
16. Knight
17. Djetou
18. Legwinski
19. Goldbæk
20. Saha
21. Herrera
23. Davis
24. Goma
25. Ouaddou
26. Harley
27. Womé
30. Thompson
31. Lewis
33. Willock
34. Hammond
35. McAnespie
36. Hudson
38. Cornwall
39. Leacock
40. Štolcers
|
2003-04 squad | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. van der Sar
2. Volz
3. Harley
4. Melville
5. Legwinski
6. Inamoto
7. Marlet / Pembridge
8. Saha / McBride
9. Sava
10. Clark
11. Boa Morte
12. Crossley
13. Flitney
14. Malbranque
15. Hayles
16. Knight
17. Djetou
18. Bonnissel
19. Hammond
20. Hudson
21. Beasant
22. Leacock
23. S Davis
24. Goma
25. Buari
26. Willock / Petta
27. Štolcers
28. Rehman
29. Doherty
30. Green
31. Pratley
32. T Davis
33. Noble
34. Bocanegra
35. Pearce
36. John
37. Rosenior
|
2004-05 squad | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. van der Sar
2. Volz
3. Bocanegra
4. Malbranque
5. Legwinski
6. Knight
7. Pembridge
8. McBride
9. Cole
10. Clark
11. Boa Morte
12. Crossley
13. Flitney
14. Diop
15. John
16. Batista
17. Radzinski
18. Bonnissel
19. Hammond
20. Jensen
21. Rehman
22. Leacock
23. Timlin
24. Goma
25. Buari
26. Sava
28. Fontaine
29. Doherty
30. Green
31. Pratley
33. Noble
34. McDermott
35. Pearce
36. McKinlay
37. Rosenior
38. Watkins
39. Ehui
|
2005-06 squad | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Crossley
2. Volz
3. Bocanegra
4. Malbranque
5. Legwinski
6. Knight
7. Pembridge
8. C Jensen
9. Brown
10. Helguson
11. Boa Morte
13. Radzinski
14. Diop
15. John
16. Batista
17. Rosenior
18. Elrich
19. Hammond / Christanval
20. McBride
21. Rehman
22. Leacock
23. Timlin
24. Goma
25. Drobný
26. Green
27. Elliott
28. Fontaine
29. Niemi
30. Warner
31. Pratley / Bridge
32. Collins
33. N Jensen
34. McDermott
35. Pearce
36. Milsom
|
2006-07 squad | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Crossley
2. Volz
3. Bocanegra
4. Queudrue
5. Christanval
6. Knight
7. Rosenior
8. Brown
9. Helguson
10. Runström
11. Boa Morte / Montella
12. Laštůvka
13. Radzinski
14. Diop
15. John
16. C Jensen
17. Elliott
18. Zakuani
19. Pearce
20. McBride
21. Bullard
22. Routledge
23. Timlin / Dempsey
24. Pembridge
25. N Jensen / Davies
26. Collins
27. Elrich
28. Milsom
29. Niemi
30. Warner
31. Batista
32. Drobný / Omozusi
36. Briggs
37. Smertin
|
Managers |
H Bradshaw (1904-1909) • Kelso (1909-1924) • Ducat (1924-1926) • J Bradshaw (1926-1929) • Liddell (1929-1931) • McIntyre (1931-1934) • Hogan (1934-1935) • Peart (1935-1948) • Osbourne (1948-1949) • Dodgin Snr (1949-1953) • Osbourne (1953-1956) • Livingstone (1956-1958) • Jezzard (1958-1964) • Buckingham (1965-1968) • Robson (1968) • Dodgin Jnr (1969-1972) • Stock (1972-1976) • Campbell (1976-1980) • Macdonald (1980-1984) • Harford (1984-1986) • Lewington (1986-1990) • Dicks (1990-1991) • Mackay (1991-1994) • Branfoot (1994-1996) • Adams (1996-1997) • Wilkins (1997-1998) • Keegan (1998-1999) • Bracewell (1999-2000) • Evans & Riedle (2000) • Tigana (2000-2003) • Coleman (2003-2007) • Sanchez (2007) • Hodgson (2007-2010) • Hughes (2010-2011) • Jol (2011-2013) • Meulensteen (2013-2014) • Magath (2014) • Symons (2014-2015) • Jokanović (2015-2018) • Ranieri (2018-2019) • Parker (2019-2021) • Silva (2021-present) |