Former Premier League boss Steve Cooper has landed a surprise new role as head coach of Danish club Brøndby, after his sacking from Leicester less than one year ago.
The news comes just hours after his previous employers, Nottingham Forest, confirmed they were parting ways with Nuno Espirito Santo, with former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou confirmed as his replacement.
The Danish side confirmed the appointment on social media, while Cooper himself wrote an open letter to the Brondby supporters.
"I am delighted to be the new Head Coach of your great club, and I am well-aware just how much Brøndby IF means to so many of you. First of all, we have a huge game on Saturday and all my energy - as well as that of the players and the staff - will be focussed on that," Cooper wrote.
Former Premier League boss Steve Cooper has landed a surprise new role as head coach of Danish club Brøndby, after his sacking from Leicester less than one year ago
| PAThe former Swansea coach praised the "quality of the squad" and the "passion and intensity" of the supporters, citing them as the main reasons for taking the role.
He concluded: "I am ambitious to win and to see what this club can do when it is at its very best. The ownership of Brøndby feel the same way and their vision for the club is a major part of why I am here. I embrace the challenge and I know the players will too."
Steve Cooper bliver ny cheftræner for Brøndby IF.
— Brøndby IF (@BrondbyIF) September 9, 2025
Den 45-årige, walisiske cheftræner kommer til Vestegnen med et CV, der tæller klubber som Nottingham Forest, Swansea City og senest Leicester City.
Læs mere: https://t.co/unHuo4wFQZ pic.twitter.com/ok0xZp9dvy
Brøndby will not be competing in Europe this year after they fell short to French side Strasbourg during the qualification rounds last month, which has made fans even more confused at the manager's choice to leave England for the Danish side.
"From Premier League touchlines to Brøndby benches," one fan wrote.
Another said: "Well that’s a really strange one."
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Steve Cooper achieved promotion with Nottingham Forest in his first season
|GETTY
While a third added: "His career has gone downhill."
The Welsh gaffer gained a good reputation in English football, starting with a four-year spell as boss of England's under-17s.
The 45-year-old reached the final of the Under-17s European Championships before winning the Under-17s World Cup with players such as Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden and Marc Guehi.
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Cooper then coached Swansea, taking them to fourth in the league and a Play-Off final, which the lost to Brentford.
But it was at Nottingham Forest where Cooper really made a name for himself. Taking charge in September 2021 while Forest were bottom of the Championship, the club embarked on a remarkable run that saw them finish inside the top six and subsequently compete in the Play-Offs.
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Steve Cooper was sacked by Leicester after 12 Premier League matches in charge | REUTERS
Cooper was able to put side the disappointment of the previous year with Swansea, and guided the Reds to a 1-0 final victory against Huddersfield, astonishingly ending their 23-year absence from England's top flight.
And it wasn't just promotion he achieved, but Cooper was able to keep Forest in the league and avoid the dreaded immediate relegation, as the club forged their way back to a Premier League mainstay.
Poor form in his third campaign at the club saw him sacked for Nuno Espirito Santo, who was relieved of his duties in the early hours of this morning after guiding the club to their first European qualification in 30 years.
The Welshman endured a short tenure at Forest's local rivals Leicester City, but was sacked just months after his appointment with the Foxes struggling to acclimatise to Premier League football.