Former Stoke City manager Gudjon Thordarson, who guided the club to a third-tier promotion in 2002 and managed three other English teams, has passed away at the age of 71. He had been living with Parkinson’s disease in recent years.
Managerial Career and Stoke City Success
Before taking charge at Stoke in 1999, Thordarson served as the manager of his home country, Iceland. During his tenure with the Potters, he led the team to victory in the EFL Trophy in the year 2000.
Following back-to-back play-off semi-final losses during his first two seasons at the helm, the club finally achieved promotion through the play-offs in 2002. However, Thordarson left his position at the club just a few days after securing the promotion.
Spells at Other English Clubs
Beyond his time with Stoke City, Thordarson extended his managerial career to several other English football league clubs. He subsequently took charge of Barnsley from 2003 to 2004.
He later managed Notts County between 2005 and 2006, followed by a managerial stint at Crewe Alexandra from 2008 to 2009.
