Ipswich Town target ex-Augsburg coach Sandro Wagner

Ipswich Town have named former Augsburg head coach Sandro Wagner as a leading candidate to replace Kieran McKenna, who resigned earlier this month. Wagner, who guided Augsburg to a 3‑1 win over Freiburg in his first match, is being considered for the English club’s vacant manager role.

Kieran McKenna’s departure left Ipswich Town, newly promoted to the Championship, without a permanent manager. The club’s board has opened the search to experienced coaches from Europe’s top leagues.

Sandro Wagner was appointed Augsburg head coach in the summer of 2025. During his tenure he recorded three wins, one draw and eight defeats in 12 Bundesliga matches and was eliminated by Bochum in the DFB Pokal second round.

Wagner’s coaching style emphasizes high intensity and a purpose‑driven 3‑4‑2‑1 formation, a philosophy he attributes to his time under Julian Nagelsmann with the German national team. At Augsburg he deployed two creative midfielders, Mert Kömür and Elias Saad, to operate as dual number‑10s, and his side scored three goals from three shots on target in the opening victory.

Born in Munich, Wagner’s playing career peaked after leaving Hertha Berlin, where he featured heavily between 2012 and 2015. He scored 14 goals in 32 Bundesliga games for Darmstadt in 2015/16, followed by 15 goals in 42 league appearances for Hoffenheim, and later added eight goals in 14 games for Bayern Munich before moving to Tianjin Teda in the Chinese Super League, where he netted 12 times in 26 matches before retiring in 2019.

After hanging up his boots, Wagner worked with the DFB as a coach and spent two months as Unterhaching’s U19 head coach. He then led Unterhaching’s first team from 2021 to 2023, averaging 1.96 points per game in the Regionalliga, before returning to the DFB as Julian Nagelsmann’s assistant for 23 matches.

DFB sporting director Rudi Völler praised Wagner, saying, “Sandro has brought his full energy to the DFB from the very beginning and has developed enormously in his collaboration with Julian Nagelsmann.” Nagelsmann added, “Sandro has enriched our team with his expertise and as a person.”

Wagner’s dismissal in December 2025 after a 3‑0 loss to Hoffenheim left Augsburg two points above the promotion/relegation play‑off and opened the door for Ipswich Town’s pursuit. The report was compiled by Daniel Pinder.