Barnsley have announced the departure of head coach Poya Asbaghi just two days after their relegation from the Championship was confirmed.
The Reds' 2-1 defeat at Huddersfield Town on Friday night sees them drop into League One next term and Asbaghi, who was only hired in November, has now exited Oakwell by mutual consent. The 36-year-old oversaw just five wins in his 36 matches having replaced Markus Schopp, who was axed after just 15 games in the hotseat.
In a statement confirming the departure of both Asbaghi and assistant boss Ferran Sibila, Barnsley's CEO Khaled El-Ahmad said: “On behalf of Barnsley Football Club, I would like to thank both Poya and Ferran for their hard work and professionalism during a difficult time. Our search for a new coach has already started and an announcement will follow once that process is concluded.”
Asbaghi, whose previous role saw him coach Sweden's under-21s, was in a contemplative mood in the wake of relegation on Friday.
When asked what needed to change next season, he made reference to the kind of working environment that he wants at a club. "Everybody has demands on what they want and the kind of environment they want to work in," he said in the bowels of the John Smith's Stadium, less than an hour after Barnsley's demotion was confirmed.
"There are demands on me as a coach. There will be time now to reflect for everyone and you will have a clear answer from me soon (on future). But it has to be an environment where it mirrors yourself. As a player you want to be in a team where you know players around you have the same attitude. The time will come soon where we reflect and ask 'do we get that from each other?'
"If we do then good, if we don't - we will see. There are people in positions in this club that I hope have even better awareness than me on this. Let's just say that Barnsley as a club, with the budget they have - in the Championship it's the lowest, and in League One it will not be among the best - this is a club pretty dependant on making good choices.
"They have to make smarter decisions than most other clubs with better budgets. That requires making not just one or two good decisions. They pretty much all have to be right. The margin of error is bigger elsewhere than it is here."
Ultimately Asbaghi would be gone within 36 hours. Upon confirmation of his exit, he released a brief statement saying: "I want to thank everybody at Oakwell for their time and efforts over the last months. This of course includes players, fans and staff. It's been a real privilege to work in Barnsley and I wish everybody all the very best for the upcoming seasons."
Barnsley's under-23s boss Martin Devaney will take charge of the side for their final three fixtures of the campaign against Blackpool, Preston and West Brom.
