Alious
When football managers take the stage for their first press conference, they almost always make the same promise: no matter what happens, they’ll leave the club stronger than they found it.
By that measure alone, Kristjaan Speakman’s time at Sunderland can only be described as a remarkable triumph.
When Speakman arrived as sporting director, Sunderland were stuck in a miserable place — drifting, unstable, and still feeling the scars of their rapid fall from the Premier League. The squad he inherited had a few solid individuals and strong personalities, but it wasn’t built for promotion, and certainly not built for long-term sustainability. The defeat to Wigan that season summed up the situation: Sunderland weren’t just losing games, they looked like a club without a clear future.
Fast forward to today, and the transformation is staggering.
Speakman may not have been the only figure responsible for Sunderland’s rise, but he will go down as one of the most important architects of the modern rebuild. Under his leadership, Sunderland shifted from being viewed as a chaotic fallen giant into a club that became respected across the country — and in many cases, even admired and copied.
That doesn’t mean the journey was smooth.
Sunderland’s recovery wasn’t a straight line, and Speakman’s reign included moments of real frustration. There were recruitment errors, strategic missteps, and decisions that nearly derailed progress entirely. The failure to fully capitalise on Tony Mowbray’s strong early momentum, followed by the controversial appointment of Michael Beale and the damaging transfer window that came with it, were major bumps in the road. There were also periods when Sunderland’s promotion hopes looked fragile, balanced on a knife-edge.
But football history is written by outcomes.
And the outcomes under Speakman were huge.
Two trips to Wembley, two play-off trophies, and ultimately a return to the Premier League. Those achievements ensured that whatever criticism followed him during difficult spells, his legacy will be remembered through the moments that mattered most.
Speakman’s Sunderland model was not entirely unique — other clubs like Brighton and Brentford had already proven the power of data-driven recruitment and smart trading. But Sunderland’s rebuild was arguably more impressive because of the scale and pressure involved. This wasn’t a small club quietly rising in the shadows. This was Sunderland — a massive fanbase, a demanding spotlight, and constant scrutiny where even “smart” decisions can be misread as a lack of ambition.
Speakman faced that pressure regularly.
He often became the target when things went wrong, but unlike many directors elsewhere, he didn’t hide. Even when his communication style frustrated supporters — especially with the modern football language that fans often distrust — he still stepped forward publicly when others in his role would have stayed silent.
Over time, there has been growing recognition that Speakman may not have received enough credit for what he achieved behind the scenes. He entered Sunderland during a turbulent ownership structure filled with competing voices, then later worked under Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, a chairman with strong ambition but limited experience at the top level. Those early years were far from easy, and yet Speakman helped steer the club through it.
Perhaps his greatest achievement was delivering what many clubs can only dream of:
Sunderland earned promotion to the Premier League without parachute payments and without reckless spending.
Even more impressively, they did it while integrating academy players, proving their development strategy wasn’t just a marketing slogan — it was real. Sunderland became the envy of the EFL, building a squad that could rise while still increasing the club’s financial value.
That kind of success guarantees Speakman won’t be short of offers.
However, his departure also felt inevitable.
Since Florent Ghisolfi arrived last summer, it was clear the structure at Sunderland was shifting. While the official message initially suggested Speakman and Ghisolfi would work side-by-side, the reality behind the scenes appears to have been very different. Ghisolfi rapidly assumed control of recruitment and football operations, and sources have suggested there was surprise that Speakman’s exit didn’t happen earlier.
Even the wording of Sunderland’s statements raised eyebrows, lacking the typical “mutual agreement” tone that often accompanies departures of this nature — although Louis-Dreyfus did deliver a heartfelt public tribute.
The truth is simple: Ghisolfi is already running the football side of the club.
He has overseen major recruitment restructuring, led the summer transfer strategy, and extended his influence into almost every aspect of Sunderland’s sporting operation. So while Speakman’s exit would normally create fear of a vacuum, Sunderland appear prepared — because the new era has already been in motion for months.
Speakman leaving now is symbolic.
It is the moment that officially signals the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
Sunderland’s successful summer transfer business and their impressive Premier League return suggest the ownership’s decision to pivot toward Ghisolfi was the right one — but it remains one of the biggest risks Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and the board have taken since arriving.
Now the pressure falls on Ghisolfi to deliver the next step: pushing Sunderland to even greater heights while protecting the unity, culture, and identity Speakman helped build.
One major advantage Sunderland still have is the presence of Régis Le Bris, whose calm management and growing influence played a crucial role in promotion. His role has steadily expanded, and he remains central to Sunderland’s football direction moving forward.
Now, the club belongs to a new leadership duo.
Le Bris and Ghisolfi are the driving forces.
And they inherit a platform built by Speakman — a man whose tenure, despite its setbacks, will be remembered as the era that brought Sunderland back from the darkness and restored them to where they believe they belong.
Alious
