Pelach poised for Japanese managerial challenge

Former Norwich City coach Narcis Pelach is on the verge of a new managerial challenge in Japan.

The 37-year-old is set to be named head coach of Japanese second-tier side RB Omiya Ardija, with the move reportedly driven by ex-Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp, now Red Bull GmbH’s head of global soccer.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reports Pelach will sign a two-year deal, with the move also set to reunite him with former Canaries colleague Stuart Webber.

Webber, now Ardija’s head of sport following his appointment last September, brought Pelach to Carrow Road in May 2023 as first-team coach, recruiting him from Huddersfield to work under David Wagner.

Wagner is also part of the wider Red Bull structure, having spent the past year as Head of Youth Development at RB Leipzig.

Narcis Pelach managed just 19 games in charge of Stoke City prior to his dismissal (Image: PA)

Known as Chicho, Pelach spent 16 months in Norfolk, briefly working under Johannes Hoff Thorup before departing to take up the head coach role at Stoke City, in a switch that saw Norwich appoint ex-Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere as his replacement.

His spell at the bet365 Stadium proved difficult, with Pelach joined by former Norwich staff members Paul Clements and Harrison Glew as Stoke won just three of his 19 matches in charge, leaving the club hovering just above the Championship relegation zone before his dismissal.

He later returned to coaching as part of Graham Potter’s backroom staff at West Ham, only to leave again last October when Potter was replaced by Nuno Espírito Santo in a wider reshuffle by the Hammers.

Now, after eight months out of the game, the Spanish coach is poised for a fresh start in Japan, stepping in to replace Mitsuhiro Toda, who had been in interim charge of the J2 League side.

Narcis Pelach has been out of work since his exit from West Ham last October (Image: PA)

Austrian-based drinks company Red Bull acquired ownership of Ardija in August 2024, adding the club to their growing portfolio of seven professional sides that includes Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig, Leeds United, and Paris FC.

At the time of the takeover, the club were in the third tier but secured an immediate return to the second division in October 2024. Their long-term ambition remains a return to the J-League top-flight for the first time since 2017.

Pelach will be aiming to deliver that long-awaited promotion, having previously outlined his managerial ambitions in an interview with the Pink Un shortly after arriving at Norwich.

"I'm not afraid to say that (I want to be a head coach) because I always say that if I give my all and my best, then if I don't achieve, I won't feel embarrassed,” he said.

"I have always said that I want to arrive at the top level. I have never had the chance to be in the first division of any country, and I would like to achieve that in England because I arrived four years ago and it felt like home. I like the country and the football.

"In years to come, I want to become a head coach, but I don't have rules. I am just 35. I want to be ready. I want to learn more. I want to enjoy this part as well."