West Brom Appoint Slaven Bilic As New Manager
By Max Wise
Sky Bet Championship side West Bromwich Albion have confirmed the appointment of former West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic as the club’s new head coach on a two-year contract.
The 50-year-old Croat makes a return to England after almost a two-year absence following his dismissal at West Ham United in November 2017.
Bilic replaces Darren Moore, who was sacked as West Brom manager in March, with Jimmy Shan taking over temporarily until the end of the season.
Bilic’s first task will be looking to guide West Brom back into the English Premier League after a two-year absence.
West Brom made it all the way to the Championships play-offs this season but were beaten by Aston Villa, who gained promotion to the Premier League, in their semi-final game.
Bilic told his new club’s official website: “I’m delighted with this opportunity of course.
“We want to improve, we want to improve on the pitch and Albion have convinced me they want to return to the Premier League. Albion have a short-term project and a long project and they do not clash.
“They wanted me to lead them, to help improve them. They made it clear they wanted me to be the one to lead them in this and I didn’t think twice once they had spoken to me.”
Albion technical director Luke Dowling added: “We had the opportunity to ensure we conducted a wide range of interviews and were determined to take it.
“We have spoken to some outstanding candidates and I would like to thank them for their interest in the post.
“But from the moment we spoke to Slaven, we were struck by his enthusiasm and excitement about this challenge. He is determined to get back to the Premier League and believes passionately that he can do that with Albion.
“We believe he is a great ‘fit’ for us – his presence, experience and management qualities are just what we need.”
Bilic, who was a member of the Croatia side that finished third in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, has previously managed Turkish side Besiktas, Locomotiv Moscow and the Croatia national team.
