Source: SKY_Sports
Sbragia steps down
Ricky Sbragia has stepped down as Sunderland manager after the Black Cats secured Premier League survival.
Sunderland lost 3-2 at home to Chelsea on the final day but the failure of Hull City and arch-rivals Newcastle to win means the Black Cats will play a third straight year in the top flight.
The Wearsiders were third-bottom when Sbragia took charge in December following the departure of Roy Keane.
Having achieved his survival objective, the 52-year-old Scottish coach now feels he should make way for a more high-profile boss and chose not to take up the option of a second year in his contract.
"I got the opportunity to manage the club and kept them in the Premiership," he told Sky Sports.
"I'd liked to have done it in better style but I'm really pleased we stayed up.
Bigger name
"I had a chat with (chairman) Niall Quinn this week and feel I've come to the edge. To be truthful, I think they need a bigger name to carry this club on.
"I've done everything I came to do and now it's time to have some time on my own.
"I've loved it," Sbragia added. "We started so well, got some great results and maybe got carried away a bit and lost focus.
"But we always thought we were good enough to stay in the Premiership and that's proved right.
"I feel there's a foundation now and it's up to somebody else to take it on, and I'll be thoroughly enjoying seeing Sunderland move up that table next year."
Job for lifeSbragia now intends to take a break from the game but Quinn insists he is staying at the club in some capacity.
"You bet your life he is," he said. "We've done a deal to keep Ricky. He's got a job for life at this football club.
"He's Sunderland through and through, the majority of his coaching years have been spent here.
"One of the areas where I know we've got to do better is player recruitment and I might just have one of the best people around to do that for me now.
Tough
"He's been through five or six of the toughest months of his life and stood up to be counted when I needed him," Quinn added.
"He was given one role to do, and that was to bring this club over the line and keep us in the Premiership.
"We were in a bad way, we knew how tough it was going to be, and he maybe made it hard on himself by doing so well at the start and having everybody thinking we were going to Europe but he got us there.
"From the bottom of my heart, I can't thank him enough for what he's done for this football club."
