Former USMNT manager Bob Bradley has been named the new manager of Swansea City, becoming the first American manager in the history of the English Premier League. Bradley replaces Francesco Guidolin, who was in charge of the club for less than a year.
Guidolin led Swansea to safety from relegation after being named manager in January of this year. However, a 1-1-5 start and a 2-1 come from ahead loss at home against Liverpool sealed his fate. Bradley’s hire was announced by the club on Monday morning.
We can confirm the club has parted company with Francesco Guidolin, who will be replaced by Bob Bradley. pic.twitter.com/ezFbt1bxAQ
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) October 3, 2016
Not only has Bradley made history as the first American to manage in the English Premier League, he’s the first American to manage a club in any of the top five European leagues.
Bob Bradley is the first American to manage in any of the current top five European leagues (ENG, ESP, FRA, GER, ITA). 🇺🇸
— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) October 3, 2016
Bradley is most well-known for his five year tenure as manager of the United States National Team from 2006-2011. During that timespan, Bradley led the USA to one Gold Cup victory, two runner-up finishes, and a second round appearance in the 2010 World Cup. Bradley was replaced by Jurgen Klinsmann, who has had an up and down tenure trying to build upon the platform left by Bradley.
After leaving the USA, Bradley has been on an international odyssey for the last five years. First came a fascinating tenure leading the Egyptian National Team during a time of civil unrest in the country. Then came a successful tenure at Stabæk in Norway, leading them to the Europa League for the first time. Finally, Bradley moved to French Ligue 2 team Le Havre, almost guiding them to promotion last season.
Bradley’s challenge at Swansea is an interesting one. The Swans are the latest EPL club to be taken over by American investors, with Jason Levien (DC United) and Steve Kaplan (Memphis Grizzlies) buying controlling interest. Swansea were promoted to the Premier League in 2011 and have managed to become a fairly stable mid-table side, finishing 11-9-12-8-12 in their five seasons. The club also has a League Cup trophy from that time period.
However, in spite of that stability on the table, the sidelines have been a minefield for managers. Bradley is now the fifth different Swans manager since 2014. The last two managers (Alan Curtis and Guidolin) had a combined 17 games managed between them.
Bradley’s task is clear – lead the team back up the Premier League table to relative safety. Swansea has the talent to do so and with the club’s new American owners hiring the first American to manage in one of Europe’s big leagues, hopefully Bradley will have every chance to succeed and also put in place a long-term vision for the club.
It can’t be overstated what a significant moment this is for American soccer. A former coach of Chivas USA is managing in the English Premier League. Let that sink in. And the more Americans that can put themselves in places to succeed in the biggest leagues in the world, the better it will be for the continued development of the entire American soccer system. If Bradley can prove himself in the EPL, then it will make a massive statement for just how far the USA has come in the world’s game.
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