11/04/2026
Chris Coleman has reflected on his ill-fated managerial reign at Sunderland - and described Black Cats supporters as ‘absolutely amazing’ for their positive reaction towards him and his family after his side were condemned to relegation into League One.
Coleman was officially dismissed following a 2-1 defeat at former club Fulham in the penultimate game of a season played out in front of the TV cameras as the first season of the ‘Sunderland ‘til I die’ Netflix documentary was put together. The former Black Cats boss admitted he ‘couldn’t bring himself’ to watch the show when it was made available via the online streaming service - but stressed he still has positive feelings towards Sunderland supporters despite the disappointing end of his managerial reign.
Coleman told Ladbrokes at the launch of Ladisfaction: “I never watched it. I can’t bring myself to, because I know what the ending is, if you know what I mean. That day, when we got relegated… it’s very, very difficult to describe that feeling as a manager, because it just really hits you hard. This is why I’m still so fond of the club, because the way the majority of them treated me, after they’d been relegated, was unbelievable, really.
He continued: “We had an end of season do with some of the fans, and I can remember saying to my wife I didn’t know what to expect, or how I’d be treated, because I’d let these people down in a big way. But this is that fanbase in a nutshell… we turned up and they clapped us into the room. I really wasn’t expecting that, but I ended up chatting with them and they were absolutely amazing. You know, this club, this massive club, had just been relegated to League One, and they were absolutely awesome with us. To be honest, that probably made me feel even worse, because I’d let this group of good people down in a big way. You know, we never held up our end of the bargain, but they were really, really good about it.”
Former Sunderland manager Chris Coleman has reflected on his time in charge at the Stadium of Light.