Reading have announced the departure of Paul Ince as the club struggles for form in the Championship.
Ince – who enjoyed a six-year playing career at Manchester United, was initially appointed by the Royals on an interim basis in February 2022 before being given the job permanently in May.
The Berkshire outfit were recently hit with a six-point deduction for breaching the English Football League’s (EFL) rules on profit and sustainability.
They have now dropped to the relegation zone and are without a win in their last eight league matches, including the 2-1 Easter Monday loss at Preston North End which sealed Ince’s fate.
CLUB STATEMENT | Reading Football Club can confirm that the contract of first team manager Paul Ince has been terminated with immediate effect.
Under-21s Manager and former Royals striker, Noel Hunt, has been installed as Interim First Team Manager until the end of the season.
— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) April 11, 2023
Assistant manager Alex Rae has also left the club, with former Reading player turned youth coach Noel Hunt stepping in to take charge for the rest of the season.
“I would like to thank Paul and Alex for their efforts throughout what has admittedly been a frustrating and exceptionally challenging season so far. We would like to wish them well in their future endeavours,” Mark Bowen, Reading’s head of football operations, said in a statement on the club website.
“The board will work diligently to identify the manager who is the best fit for this football club going forward – a candidate capable of driving it towards a healthier, brighter future.
“However, for the next five games, our only focus is on doing everything we can to survive this season.”
Reading were also given a six-point deduction in 2021 for the same breach, after accruing losses of £57.8 million between 2017 and 2021 and have had a transfer embargo in place since then.
They have won just two games in 2023 and face a battle to avoid relegating to League Two with only five games left to wrap up the Championship season.
