Rob Edwards’ decision to leave for Wolves came as a huge shock to everyone within Rockliffe Park, and Middlesbrough is starting their second hunt for a new head coach of the 2025–26 campaign.

Boro is once again, albeit reluctantly, obliged to begin a new chapter, just when Teesside believed they had found a manager to guide them into the future.

In recent days, Middlesbrough supporters have been reminded that words are just that. Edwards has been energizing the fan base with talks of family, unity, and his own pride at being given the Riverside reins. However, just a few months into a three-year contract, he rode out of the Boro camp under the symbolic cover of darkness to head for Molineux.

But the next person in line will be faced with a special opportunity.

Usually, a club’s catastrophic circumstances and underperforming playing squad are the reason for a managerial vacancy, but Middlesbrough is not in that situation at all.

With a good portion of the season now completed, Boro has a strong team full of marketable players, automatic promotion spots in the Championship, and—most importantly—a fan base willing to support and fight against almost anyone appointed.

Middlesbrough has a strong contender to succeed Rob Edwards as Raphael Wicky’s Young Boys head coach.

Many names have previously been mentioned as possible Edwards successors at Middlesbrough, of course.

Among the names suggested to Boro are Valencia manager Carlos Corberan, Gary O’Neil, Steven Gerrard, Russell Martin, and Tony Mowbray. However, one coach hasn’t been mentioned, even though writer Graeme Bailey mentioned him in passing via X, but he really ought to be: Wicky, Raphael.

The 48-year-old Wicky, who has been unemployed since March of last year after leaving Swiss team Young Boys, has established himself as a successful coach in his home country of Switzerland.

In the summer of 2017, he accepted his first full-time head coaching job with Basel, where he spent his only 17/18 season in charge and finished second in the Swiss Super League.

After that, he managed the USA Under-17s for less than a year before being hired as a senior manager by the Chicago Fire, an MLS team.

The ‘Windy City’ suffered a dismal season, finishing 14 points off of the MLS play-off spots, and his team was fired in September 2021 after finishing just one point outside the play-off spots in a Covid-affected 2020 season.

Wicky’s coaching career was at its lowest point at the time, but Young Boys offered him the chance to go back home and take on what felt like a make-or-break assignment.

In the end, he would create history with the Bern-based team by leading them to a Swiss league and cup double during a 22–23 season in which his team won the championship with 74 points, while Servette, in second place, could only produce 58.

Wicky accomplished this by bringing in players with significant influence, such Rangers’ Cedric Itten, who scored 19 goals and disheveled four assists, and by developing a strategy that allowed his team to dominate every aspect of the game.

Wicky’s team, who mostly used a 4-4-2 diamond system, led the Swiss league in average possession (57%), goals per game (2.3), predicted goals/xG (68.9), fewest goals allowed per game (0.8), clean sheets (13) and shots on goal per game (6.1), according to FotMob.

For a head coach to be able to build a team capable of doing that, in a team that had finished third and 16 points behind league winners FC Zurich the previous season, was truly remarkable. His 22/23 Young Boys team was simply miles ahead of their competition in every single department.

Wicky’s style of play was energetic, high-action, and attacking, but it was also very well-organized defensively, which is exactly what Edwards was doing with Middlesbrough.

Wicky’s arrival would therefore probably not result in a significant change in tactical theory; rather, it may see a continuance of the fundamental ideas behind what Boro has done well this season, with maybe a few tweaks and enhancements here and there as he adds his own unique touch.

With recent connections to Rangers, Sunderland, and West Brom, Wicky is eager to return to management.

Raphael Wicky, coach of the BSC Young Boys, shakes hands with Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City.

His Young Boys squad qualified for the Champions League as a result of that league title win, and he was rewarded with the opportunity to compete against some of the top football managers in the world.

Wicky was able to put himself to the test against coaches like Marco Rose and Pep Guardiola, even though his team finished third in a group that included Red Star Belgrade, RB Leipzig, and Manchester City, respectively.

Young Boys drew 1-1 with City until the 67th minute of their first group match before losing 3-1, and they only lost 2-1 away to Leipzig in their second group phase match. In fact, his team pushed Man City and Leipzig close in some of their games.

Wicky’s team lost the two-leg match 4-2 on aggregate, but they did enough to earn a play-off matchup against Sporting Clube de Portugal for a spot in the Europa League Round of 16.

Joel Magnin would take over for the next 12 games and ultimately see through a successful championship defense, but he would stay in command until March of last year, when he was fired in the final moments of the 23/24 season with his team still dominating the Swiss league.

Wicky has been eager to find his next head coaching position ever since, and he seems very much open to moving here.

Before Regis Le Bris was appointed, he was a strong candidate for the Sunderland position last summer. He was also a strong candidate to succeed Carlos Corberan as West Brom manager in January of last year, but the Baggies chose Tony Mowbray instead after a problem with Wicky’s backroom staff surfaced. Finally, he was a strong candidate for the Rangers position before Danny Rohl was brought in to replace Russell Martin.

He appears to be desperate to find a new role, which would allay any concerns about Middlesbrough experiencing another Edwards scenario. He is certain to show loyalty and commitment to the team that gives him the opportunity he has been waiting more than a year and a half for.

Wicky should therefore be very much on Middlesbrough’s radar, and if he decides to enter the race, he might be the most notable contender.