Aitor Karanka, new coach of Birmingham City

The Spanish Aitor Karanka has become this Friday the new coach of Birmingham City, Championship team (English Second Division). Karanka succeeds the also Spanish Pep Clotet, who had been in office since June 2019 until he left the post earlier this month.

The Spanish coach returns to the bench after his last adventure in the Nottingham Forest, with whom he also competed in the Championship until January 2019, when he left the club. Before, Karanka had been José Mourinho's second coach at Real Madrid and as head coach at Middlesbrough, with whom he gained promotion to the Premier League.

Birmingham finished the season in 20th position, a position accentuated by the team's losing streak in the final stretch of the season. Economically, the club's finances have improved slightly in recent weeks thanks to the sale of the young Jude Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund for 23 million euros. The club's objective with Karanka is to improve in the table in the medium / long term.

“I am delighted to join a club with Birmingham City's history and fans. I share the enthusiasm and determination that we all have here to start working together on the challenges that lie ahead. I thank the board of directors for their interest and their great will to become the coach of this project.“Karanka said in statements to the club.”We have followed Aitor's career for years and it was our first choice, we are very pleased that he joined us“said Xuandong Ren, CEO of Birmingham.