Sheffield Wednesday and Danny Rohl made history after beating Sunderland 2-0 in the Championship on Saturday, beating the drop.
Sheffield Wednesday are now the first team in Championship history to avoid relegation after going winless in their opening 13 league fixtures.
It comes after an incredible turnaround under former Bayern Munich and Germany no.2 Rohl, who only took charge of the Owls in October.
Since then, Sheffield Wednesday have amassed 52 points in the Championship and finish the season in 20th place of the table; just three points behind Watford in 15th.
Rohl and his Sheffield Wednesday players have made headlines throughout the UK, and also in Rohl’s native Germany following their miraculous escape.
How German media reacted to Danny Rohl at Sheffield Wednesday
Rohl has been steadily making headlines in Germany following his ever-impressive spell in S6.
He’s well known for being Hansi Flick’s no.2 at Bayern and then in the German national set-up, though he’s rapidly making a name for himself as his own manager.
Here’s what some of the German national outlets had to say about Rohl’s Sheffield Wednesday achievement this season…
BILD: ‘German coach creates miracle in England‘
“Incredible story in English football! Sheffield Wednesday dramatically stayed up in the second-tier Championship thanks to a 2-0 win at Sunderland. Thanks to a German trainer’s rescue mission!
“Danny Röhl took over the club from the northern English working-class town last autumn. Winless after 13 games, with just three points to their name. One hell of a mission!
“Especially since it was the first job as head coach for the former assistant of Hansi Flick, with whom he won the Champions League at FC Bayern in 2020 and worked for the national team.
“But Röhl pitched in and put together a coaching team including mental coach Sascha Lense (previously RB Leipzig, Schalke) and Henrik Pedersen (Union, Braunschweig). And started a historic race to catch up.”
Full article here.
Kicker: ‘Röhl saves Wednesday – Birmingham from third division for the first time since 1994’
“In the basement, Danny Röhl made the miracle perfect with Sheffield Wednesday. Hansi Flick’s long-time assistant, who had just turned 35, took on the position of head coach for the first time at the four-time champions (last time in 1930) in October and held the class.
“The traditional club, founded in 1867, had the worst start to the season in its history as a promoted team and was still nine points behind the saving bank on the first match day of the second half of the season.
“The Röhl team still needed one point in Sunderland to stay in the league, but in the end Wednesday celebrated a 2-0 victory.”
Full article here.
Sport Buzzer: ‘Röhl manages to stay in the league with Sheffield Wednesday’
“In the table cellar, alongside [Andre] Breitenreiter’s Huddersfield, Birmingham City and Rotherham United also have to go into the third-tier League One.
“Sheffield Wednesday, coached by Danny Röhl, made the sensational rescue perfect. When the former assistant coach of ex-national coach Hansi Flick took office, the gap to the saving bank was still nine points.
“Röhl sealed the turnaround on Sunday with a 2-0 win at AFC Sunderland.”
Full article here.
What next for Danny Rohl and Sheffield Wednesday
A well-earned break, and then it’ll be back into the thick of it for Rohl and Sheffield Wednesday.
There’s a whole host of issues for the club to sort out this summer though the most pressing will be Rohl’s future at the club.
Numerous reports have stated that he’s under contract at Hillsborough until the end of the 2024/25 season but owner Dejphon Chansiri will surely be keen one extending that deal.
But Rohl has now stated on multiple occasions, doing so again after the Sunderland game, that he wants assurances about the vision of the club going forward.
If he can get the assurance he needs from Chansiri, and if the Owls owner can back Rohl both on and off the pitch before next season, then it could be a very fruitful campaign for the Owls.