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In his second spell with the Sky Blues, Robins twice led them to promotion, from League Two and League One before reaching the Championship play-off final in 2023, when they lost to Luton Town on penalties.<\/a><\/p>\n They then took Manchester United, where Robins started his playing career, to a penalty shootout in last season’s FA Cup semi-final before falling away in the league late on as they failed to match the previous season’s top-six finish.<\/p>\n Stoke started the season under Schumacher, beating Robins’ Coventry on the opening day<\/a>, but surprisingly sacked him in mid-September<\/a> to appoint former Huddersfield and Norwich coach Pelach.<\/p>\n However, they won just three times in the 36-year-old Catalan’s 19 games in charge and he was sacked after a 2-0 home reverse by Leeds stretched their winless run to nine matches.<\/p>\n Robins is now the club’s seventh managerial appointment since their 10-year spell in the Premier League came to an end in May 2018. Since being relegated, they have always finished in the bottom half of the Championship – 16th, 15th, 14th, 14th, 16th and 17th.<\/p>\n “With the proven track record Mark brings to the role, I believe this is a genuinely exciting moment for Stoke City,” said Stoke chair John Coates. <\/p>\n “The win over Sunderland, with the way the team competed on the field and connected with the fans, gave everyone a huge boost and provided a glimpse of what can be created at our club.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n