Barnsley FC have announced the re-appointment of German coach Daniel Stendel, who will return to Oakwell for his second term as first-team manager.
Renowned for his high-pressing style of play, Stendel returns for a two-year deal with the club, with an option to extend a year.
Stendel said: “I am absolutely delighted to be back at Barnsley Football Club. This is a place that means a great deal to me, and I’m really looking forward to reconnecting with old friends while also getting to know new faces around the Club.
“I can’t wait to get back to work and start this next chapter together.”
Daniel stendel
The Tykes finished 15th in the EFL League 1 this season, the same league that Stendel earnt promotion from with Barnsley in the 2018/19 season.
Paul Gallagher, a board member of Barnsley FC Supporters Trust, and a contributor to The Barnsley Fans BBS forum, said: “I think it’s fair to say our fans love Daniel Stendel. One or two people have said you should never bring someone back a second time, but the overwhelming majority are over the moon about this.”
“Since the appointment was confirmed, fans who weren’t going to renew their season tickets are now saying they will. That’s the Stendel effect, he’ll put bums on seats and get fans back into Oakwell.”
Stendel is known for his ability to develop fringe players performance, who weren’t previously given a chance in first-team football.
His last spell at the club saw players Alex Mowatt, and Ethan Pinnock playing in all 46 league games of the campaign. During the season before Stendel took over, the pair had only made 13 appearances between them.
Since then, Pinnock has made 128 appearances with Brentford in the Premier league, with Mowatt also earning a transfer to Championship side West Brom.
Gallagher said: “Above all, he’s a motivator. In the summer of 2018 he took a squad nobody fancied and transformed them into a gegenpressing machine inside a single pre-season. That team played some of the best football we’ve seen at Oakwell in recent years.”
“I’d like to see a top-six finish in the first season and a genuine promotion challenge in the second. He’s done it before at this level, with this club, with players who weren’t supposed to be good enough.”