Leeds United's Championship rivals set to appoint double-winning manager after unplanned exit

The former BSC Young Boys head coach won a domestic double with the Swiss club during his first season in charge of the side, lifting the Swiss Super League and Swiss Cup in 2022/23.

Wicky is favourite to replace Carlos Corberan at The Hawthorns, who swapped the West Midlands for Valencia last month after several years coaching in England.

According to The Telegraph, Wicky is 'in advanced talks' with the Baggies' hierarchy and could be announced in the coming days.

Wicky enjoyed a decorated playing career in Germany and Switzerland, winning the Swiss Cup three times with FC Sion, in addition to the then-named Swiss Championship.

Across the border in Germany, Wicky was crowned a domestic cup winner with Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV in 1998/99 and 2003, respectively. He also won the UEFA Intertoto Cup with both clubs, first in 1998 with Bremen, followed by Hamburg in 2005.

Wicky began working as a coach within the youth setups at FC Basel, Servette and initially FC Thun, in his homeland, before becoming Basel's head coach in 2017. After leaving St. Jakob Park with 29 wins in 51 matches, Wicky took up a position as the United States' Under-17 coach, before a spell with Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire. Between 2022 and 2024, Wicky was Young Boys' manager, with whom he enjoyed his maiden managerial success.

Corberan's exit from West Brom last month came relatively out of the blue with his departure announced late on Christmas Eve.

The Baggies remain sixth in the Championship table and stand a good chance of making the play-offs at the end of the season, if Wicky can get a tune out of the squad left behind by his Spanish predecessor.

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