SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

West Ham's Bilic says Advocaat exit bad for league

Advocaat stepped down as Sunderland manager on Sunday after less than seven months in the job, with his side second from bottom in the table and without a win in eight league games this season.

West Ham's Bilic says Advocaat exit bad for league
(Reuters)

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Skip to article content

"I told him (Advocaat) I would like (him) to stay. You saw on the touchline he is a man full of energy and passion. The Premier League will be worse off without him," Croatian Bilic told West Ham's website.

"He is a man of knowledge, and his experience at different clubs in different countries and at international level is unbelievable."

The 68-year-old Advocaat took over from Uruguayan Gus Poyet in March and saved Sunderland from relegation last season and had initially intended to retire after their escape, but changed his mind and stayed on.

The manager had hinted strongly at his intentions on Saturday when he refused to confirm he was staying at the club after the West Ham game, from which the Hammers salvaged a point after coming from two goals down following Jeremain Lens' sending off.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"It's his (Advocaat's) decision, only he knows what he feels. For a man of his experience, he's basically done everything in different countries, at international level," Bilic said.

"Only he knows but I rate him so much, there aren't many managers like him."

The decision to step down almost certainly spells retirement for Advocaat, who coached the Netherlands, Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, and Scottish side Rangers in a nomadic career, which also saw him become the first foreign coach to win the Russian Premier League title, a feat he achieved with Zenit St Petersburg in 2007.

(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world