adminRegis Le Bris has explained that Luciano Vulcano “wasn’t the right fit” within Sunderland’s coaching setup, while wishing the Italian well following his departure from the club.
Vulcano joined Sunderland last summer as part of a revamped backroom staff, taking up the role of assistant head coach. However, after just six months on Wearside, a decision was made for the 37-year-old to move on.
The Black Cats do not intend to appoint a direct replacement. Instead, Le Bris revealed that minor adjustments will be made to the responsibilities of the remaining coaching staff, stressing that Vulcano left the club on good terms.
Before arriving at Sunderland, Vulcano had been part of Stefano Pioli’s coaching team at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, working with a squad that included Cristiano Ronaldo. Pioli later attempted to bring him to Fiorentina, but that opportunity did not materialise, and the chance to work in England proved appealing.
Although Vulcano had previously come close to joining Sunderland, he felt the timing was finally right last summer. His stay, however, proved to be brief.
Explaining the decision, Le Bris said: “I really appreciated working with Luciano, both personally and professionally. But we felt he didn’t quite fit into our current staff structure.
“Our coaching team is always evolving, just like players. Some staff members progress, others remain in the same role, and our structure is very dynamic. For Luciano, it wasn’t easy to find the right position.
“Rather than forcing the situation, we agreed together that it was better to end the collaboration. He contributed positively and helped the staff, but feeling comfortable in the day-to-day environment is essential. That was the case for both sides.
“He’s a good professional and I’m confident he’ll do well elsewhere.”
Le Bris continues to work alongside assistant head coach Isidre Ramón Madir, who also joined in the summer, as well as Michael Proctor and Alessandro Barcherini. Neil Cutler was appointed as goalkeeper coach, while James Brayne oversees first-team set-piece coaching.
Sunderland travel to Arsenal on Saturday looking to build on Monday night’s impressive win over Burnley. However, captain Granit Xhaka will miss out again due to an ankle injury.
There was more positive news on the injury front, with Omar Alderete declared fit and available after limping off against Burnley. Deadline-day signing Nilson Angulo could also feature, despite only arriving on Wearside on Thursday evening.
Xhaka has missed the last two matches following his injury against Crystal Palace and is expected to be assessed again next week, with the midfielder likely to miss games against Liverpool and Oxford in the FA Cup.
Le Bris added: “There’s no update on Granit yet, but he’s progressing well. He was running on the treadmill today, which is encouraging.
“Nilson arrives this evening. He’s match-fit as he’s been playing regularly. It’s now about building connections with his teammates. That could happen quickly, and he could be involved on Saturday.”
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