, Who is new Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael?

Who is new Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael?

Barnsley have opted to go down the foreign route again by choosing Valerien Ismael as the man to replace Gerhard Struber. 

The Frenchman has penned a three-year contract with the Championship side but who is the new face of Oakwell?

Ismael, who is 45 years old, spent his playing days as a commanding centre-back for the likes of Crystal Palace, Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich.

He hung up his boots in 2009 and started his coaching career with the reserve side at Hannover 96, before holding a similar role at Wolfsburg.

Ismael was handed his first ‘proper’ managerial role by FC Nurnberg in 2014, but his time with there lasted just 14 games before he was given the sack.

Nevertheless, he didn’t let that short-lived spell put him off management and he returned to Wolfsburg II seven months later.

UEFA - Handout/Getty Images Sport

Ismael was then appointed interim manager of Wolfsburg’s first-team in October 2016 and was given the full-time role shortly after. He stayed with the Bundesliga side for five months and won six out of 17 games.

His last managerial stint at LASK is his most successful to date. He joined the Austrian side in May 2019 after a one-game detour in Greece at Apollon Smyrnis.

Ismael guided the Austrian Bundesliga outfit to their first ever appearance in Europe and ended up winning 31 games out of his 50 games in charge.

Barnsley fans didn’t know much about Struber when he replaced Daniel Stendel last season and will be hoping Ismael can keep them in the second tier this term.

Based on his exploits at LASK, he could surprise a few in South Yorkshire.

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