Hull City have confirmed the appointment of Marco Silva, who has replaced the sacked Mike Phelan on a contract for the remainder of the season.
It was Steve Bruce who led the Tigers back into the top-flight last summer, before the current Aston Villa boss resigned his post due in no small part to a breakdown in his relationship with the club’s vice-chairman. Phelan was initially appointed in charge as a caretaker boss, and was then given the job outright in October.
But despite leading Hull to a place in the League Cup semi-finals – in which they take on Manchester United – form in the Premier League has been poor and they are rock bottom of the table having won just three times. Although former Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett was an early favourite, the club have now confirmed the appointment of Silva.
The 39-year-old – a friend of Jose Mourinho – led Sporting Lisbon to a Portuguese Cup and a third place finish before being sacked for not wearing an official club suit during a match in an earlier round, and he led Olympiakos to the Greek league title. He has a reputation for attacking football, and will be assisted by Joao Pedro Sousa, Goncalo Pedro and Hugo Oliveira.
Tigers vice-chairman Ehab Allam said: “Marco is a young coach who has impressed us with his philosophy and football style. He has a great track record and we feel this is a bold and exciting appointment in our aim to retain the club’s Premier League status. We are already working hard with Marco to deliver some key additions to our squad.”
