Chris Coleman willing to take personal financial hit after relegation to League One

Sunderland boss Chris Coleman says he would be prepared to take a pay cut following relegation to League One.
Sunderland boss Chris Coleman. Picture by Frank ReidSunderland boss Chris Coleman. Picture by Frank Reid
Sunderland boss Chris Coleman. Picture by Frank Reid

Coleman does not have a clause in his deal that automatically reduces his pay, but he would be willing to do so, if asked.

Players signed since the club’s relegation from the Premier League will take a hit financially this summer, but those signed in the top-flight, most of whom saw their pay fall considerably this season, will not.

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The Black Cats boss has repeatedly stressed that his biggest concern regarding his and the club’s future is a lack of clarity over what direction the team will go in this summer.

He admitted that he did not plan for the prospect of League One football when agreeing a deal to take over in November and is happy to adapt if necessary.

He said: “There’s nothing in my contract, but I’ll tell you now, I have absolutely no problem with having a different contract.

“That’s not the problem for me, the problem is what the plan is for the team, the signings. I’d do it if someone wanted to look at the contract.”

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Coleman also suggested that he would be open to negotiating a settlement should he and the club, whoever is in charge, decide that he is not the right man to take it forward.

He said: “I signed a two-and-a-half year contract. The plan was stay up, get up and then stay up again, if that makes sense.

“Everything was geared towards the Premier League – that’s where we were looking.

“But whoever is the owner, if we have to cut our cloth and there are sacrifices to be made to help us go in a certain way, then I’ll do that. I haven’t got a problem with that.”

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Coleman has spoken regularly of his frustration with the uncertainty at the club and says every day that passes without resolution hampers any attempt to win promotion next season.

He said: “I don’t think Ellis (Short, the owner) is going to come out and say anything.

“I know Martin (Bain, chief executive) has been taking to people [about a takeover], but that’s nothing new – it’s been going on for months.

“The new beginning will come either when Ellis says ‘I’m still here, I can’t sell the club, and this is what my plan is’, or a new owner comes in.

“Until that happens, we are in limbo.

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“We know we are in League One now, and it’s not a case of consolidating – it’s not that at all.

“We have got to win promotion. It doesn’t matter how we do it, we have to win promotion and get some momentum.

“We need to build a certain type of team. To do that, we need the green light from the right people.

“If that doesn’t happen, this transfer window will come and go.

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“People will think that we have time, but we don’t have time.

“We need to start working right now, so that when we come back for pre-season we have the majority of our signings in place, with maybe just one or two more to come.

“We need to start now. Every 24 hours that goes past is 24 hours we have lost.”