Football
Exclusive: Swiss Boss Raphael Wicky Gains Momentum in Middlesbrough Managerial Race
Swiss manager Raphael Wicky is making a strong bid to become the new Middlesbrough boss after impressing the club hierarchy with his plans for promotion. The former Young Boys coach brings a wealth of experience and has garnered high-profile support for the role. His stability-focused approach could see him beat out competition, including Steven Gerrard, for the position.
BSC Young Boys v Sporting CP: Knockout Round Play-offs First Leg - UEFA Europa League 2023/24 by Eurasia Sport Images | Getty Images
Swiss manager Raphael Wicky’s push to become Middlesbrough’s next manager is gathering pace, SportsBoom understands, with sources revealing that the Swiss’ candidacy has garnered several high profile supporters behind the scenes at the Riverside.
Despite being viewed as an outsider for the role, which became vacant when Rob Edwards departed for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wicky is regarded as a serious contender among the Championship club’s hierarchy after impressing them with his plans to deliver promotion.
A Super League and Schweizer Cup winner with Young Boys, Wicky is known for his combative and attack-minded style.
He also boasts experience of coaching abroad, having previously led the USA’s under-17 squad and Chicago Fire for two years before returning to his homeland after beginning his career in the technical area at Basel.
That CV, combined with the fact he represented Werder Bremen, Hamburg and Atletico Madrid as a player, has earned him a wealth of admirers at Boro, who want to appoint someone capable of making an immediate impact following Edwards’ shock departure.
STABILITY
Aged 48, Wicky has already outlined some of his plans to bring stability back to a team still reeling from the new Wolves chief’s decision to leave only 15 games into a reign which had been expected to see Middlesbrough regain the top-flight status they surrendered in 2009.
Former Rangers and Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard, who was linked with the Middlesbrough vacancy earlier this week, is understood to be keen on taking the reins at the Riverside.
However, Wicky could have stolen a march after impressing with an unofficial presentation to senior figures at Boro. Crucially, despite the fact both are free agents, Wicky’s wage demands are also thought to be more in line with those likely to be offer in England’s second tier.
Wicky also won the league and cup double with Basel before crossing the Atlantic, where he nearly led Fire into the MLS play-offs.
Capped 75 times by his country, Wicky travelled with Switzerland to two European Championship finals and one World Cup.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.