Fansided

Bob Bradley becomes first American manager in the Premier League

By Dan Voicescu

PASADENA, CA - JUNE 25: Bob Bradley coach of United States during the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Championship against Mexico at the Rose Bowl on June 25, 2011 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JUNE 25: Bob Bradley coach of United States during the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Championship against Mexico at the Rose Bowl on June 25, 2011 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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Bob Bradley was announced as Swansea’s new manager Monday morning, becoming the first ever American to take charge of a Premier League team.

This morning Swansea have announced they are replacing Italian Francesco Guidolin with Bob Bradley. The 58-year-old New Jersey native, former coach of the USMNT, is the first American soccer coach to manage a team in one of Europe’s top four leagues.

It is reported that Bradley beat out former Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs for the coaching role. Initial speculation was that Giggs, who is Welsh, was the man for the job, but Swansea’s American co-owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, along with club Chairman Huw Jenkins, a Welshman who has been with the club for 14 years, decided to give Bradley the job.

Bradley’s contract with the Swans runs through the end of the 2018-19 season.

Bradley has stated publicly that he feels he belongs at the same managerial level with the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, and now he finally gets a chance to prove it. It’s certainly a leap of faith on the Welsh club’s part to go with the former head coach of Le Havre, the French second division team currently in 11th place.

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Given the Swans’ poor start to the season, currently in 17th place in the Premier League, and the choice to go with the American instead of the Welsh legend, the Swans supporters will be second-guessing Bradley’s every move and may not show a lot of patience with their new coach.

However, the man who led the Egyptian national team to within one game of qualifying for the World Cup, and did so during  a time of tremendous social upheaval, which included the Port Said massacre, should be well-equipped to deal with adversity.

The timing of the move allows Bradley 12 days to prepare for Swansea’s next game, which is against Arsenal at the Emirates on Oct. 15.  Aside from the historical importance of the Bradley hiring, the move will further galvanize the American fan base, giving the Premier League more engagement and eyeballs from this side of the pond.

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