Carlos Corberan is quitting Huddersfield Town just weeks after leading them to within one game of the Premier League.
The Spaniard is stepping down as Terriers' boss after two seasons in charge, the latter of which he led them to the Championship play-off final only to fall short to Nottingham Forest.
Unlike most splits, this will not be a messy one with the 39-year-old wanting to maintain a good relationship with the club. Corberan is said to harbour a different vision to that of the West Yorkshire club but as mentioned, there is no animosity behind his decision. He holds such an honest relationship with the club that he has decided to step aside and allow another manager to try to lead the Terriers back to the Premier League.
Corberan is set to return home to his native Spain to be with his wife and young son, who he brought onto the pitch at one point towards the end of last season.
At the time Corberan spoke of his special bond with the Huddersfield supporters after the final home game of the season against Barnsley. He said: “I wanted to give a thank you to the fans for their support all season. I wanted to show how special they are for us with one of the most special people in my life, my son.
“Because I know that Huddersfield town fans have suffered a lot in the last three seasons, the last season in the Premier League and the last two seasons in the Championship. Just to say to them how important they are for us and make them feel that we want to always give the best to them, sometimes we can, sometimes we cannot. I wanted to show how special they are for me in the moment with one of the most special people to me too.”
Corberan's side would go on to reach the play-offs and see off Luton in the semi-finals only to fall short at Wembley in a 1-0 loss to Forest. Despite the defeat, it proved a superb turnaround after Corberan's first season in charge when the side only narrowly avoided relegation to League One. His team quickly became known for their tenacious approach to pressing and high fitness levels, the benefits of which were only realised in that second season.
In the 2020-21 campaign Town finished 20th - just two places clear of relegation. But they transformed their form the following term to finish third thanks to a whopping 33-point swing.
Town's Head of Football Operations Leigh Bromby said of Corberan's exit: "It is with sadness that we have accepted Carlos’ resignation. He was obviously a big part of what was a fantastic season in 2021/22, but he has subsequently come to us over the last 24 hours and made it clear that he doesn’t think he is the man to take us forward.
"The timing is disappointing, with our preparations for the new season already underway. However, we have worked very hard here over the last few years to build a coaching and support structure around the first team that gives us continuity and stability when there’s change. We’ve also created succession plans for every eventuality."
Bromby added that existing first team coach Danny Schofield will step up and take charge of the first game against Burnley on July 29, although it is not clear whether that will be on an interim basis or permanently.
