Motherwell

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Motherwell's pre-season schedule will include a behind-closed-doors friendly against Carlisle United.

The match will take place on 8 July, with the Fir Park side's competitive action kicking off four days later when they travel to Clyde for their League Cup group opener.

Carlisle will play non-league football next term following relegation from England's League Two.

Motherwell are yet to appoint a manager following the surprising departure of Michael Wimmer, who left to German third-tier club Jahn Regensburg almost two weeks ago.

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Would a move for Robbie Neilson be a safe but sensible decision from Motherwell?

The Fir Park side are still on the search for a new manager following the shock exit of Michael Wimmer, who left for family reasons and ed German third-tier side Jahn Regensburg almost a fortnight ago.

Former Hearts and Dundee United boss Neilson, who departed Tampa Bay Rowdies earlier this year, has said the vacant job at Motherwell would interest him.

The 44-year-old got Hearts promoted twice and led them to two third-placed top-flight finishes across two spells, as well as making two Scottish Cup finals. He also guided United to promotion in 2020.

That record is why former Premiership striker Rory Loy feels Neilson would be a risk-averse appointment as Motherwell, who are looking for a fourth manager in three years, search for some much-needed stability.

"You look at Hearts, appointing Derek McInnes is probably as safe as houses in of the risk involved," Loy told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I think Neilson is pretty similar for Motherwell. I don't like the cliches of 'he knows the league' and 'he knows the players', but it is relevant to an extent. And one thing he has had is success.

"Whether Hearts fans enjoyed how he played or his personality or how he came across, he had a level of success where they were consistently finishing in good positions in the league.

"The difference is, and it's quite rare, Wimmer wasn't actually sacked. Motherwell maybe like what they did and could see where it was going, so they might not be too concerned about going a bit more leftfield again."

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Motherwell have confirmed the g of Jordan McGhee on a two-year deal, with the club holding the option of a further year, following his Dundee exit.

BBC Scotland reported that the versatile 28-year-old had penned a pre-contract agreement with the Lanarkshire side in January.

Stuart Kettlewell was Well's manager at that point, but he has since left. Kettlewell's replacement, Michael Wimmer, is also no longer at the club.

The Fir Park side are yet to appoint a new first-team boss, but their summer player recruitment continues as McGhee's arrival follows the g of Austrian midfielder Lukas Fadinger.

McGhee's departure from Dundee brings to an end a six-year stay at Dens Park. The former Hearts and Falkirk player made 197 appearances for the club, scoring 21 goals and gaining top-flight promotion twice.

Nick Mheat
BBC Sport Scotland

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This time last year Motherwell's board, fan ownership group and were braced for a toxic summer amid a potential takeover from a former Netflix vice-president.

That attempted bid collapsed spectacularly when proposed American buyer Erik Barmack withdrew his offer because he felt there were "significant divisions within the fanbase".

In the 12 months since, the club hierarchy has been ripped up and refreshed, one manager has departed after citing fan abuse, and another has left for family reasons.

Three summers ago, Graham Alexander was sacked on the eve of the 2022-23 Scottish Premiership season after his team were chased out of Conference League qualifying by Sligo Rovers.

Club legend Steven Hammell picked up the pieces, but he was gone by the following February after a humiliating Scottish Cup defeat at second-tier Raith Rovers.

With the search for a fourth manager in three years under way, ers of the Fir Park side will have to wait a little longer for the extended period of normality they crave.

Until last week, fans were optimistic about the summer. There were signs manager Michael Wimmer was starting to flex his coaching pedigree.

Three wins from five post-split games contributed to an overall record of five victories, three draws and four defeats across 12 matches under the former Austria Vienna boss.

Off the pitch, Wimmer spoke of immersing himself in the local culture. A picture of him celebrating in a Lanarkshire pub circulated after an excellent result and performance in a 2-1 win at Rangers in March. All was looking well.

Then, last Friday, news emerged the German had returned home and was not coming back. "This decision was an extremely hard one," he said.

Some fans joked the 44-year-old's frequent LinkedIn activity, and the regular self-promotion of his profile, suggested he was looking for a way out.

But this was real. An "urgent" family matter meant Wimmer wanted to be closer to home, ing third-tier German club Jahn Regensburg.

A "shock to everybody" was how chairman Kyrk Macmillan described it, but the club will now need to move on quickly.

However, with the players not due arrive back for pre-season for another month, Motherwell will not rush or panic in their hunt to find Wimmer's successor.

The board will follow the same process that led them to the German, using data and metrics to judge how candidates align with the club's values, such as youth development.

If Motherwell land on a manager with a similar CV, they will be doing well. But it is worth ing there are coaches closer to home now available.

Tony Docherty is without a club after being sacked by Dundee, plus Shaun Maloney is also unattached following his Wigan exit.

But Robbie Neilson's record at both Hearts and Dundee United surely makes him the standout among the realistic Scottish options.

The 44-year-old, who left Tampa Bay Rowdies earlier this year, has said the vacant jobs at Motherwell and Dundee would interest him.

Neilson got Hearts promoted twice and led them to two third-placed top-flight finishes across two spells, as well as making two Scottish Cup finals. He also guided United to promotion in 2020.

Motherwell assistant Ahmet Koc, who ed with Wimmer, will continue his role at Fir Park after talks with Regensburg. It is unknown whether or not he will put himself forward for the managerial role.

But it feels like the smart money is on another left-field move. No media outlet had any wind of Wimmer's arrival until just minutes before he was announced, and it will be no surprise if something similar is repeated.

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Motherwell will host Bundesliga 2 side Hertha Berlin in a pre-season friendly at Fir Park on Friday 25 July at 19:00 BST.

The two-time German champions, who were relegated from the Bundesliga in 2023, finished 11th in the second tier last term.

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Motherwell will begin the 2025-26 season with a trip to fourth-tier Clyde in their Premier Sports Cup Group G opener on 12 July.

The Fir Park club are at home to Peterhead and Morton either side of a trip to Stenhousemuir.

Motherwell are currently continuing the search for a new manager following the shock departure of Michael Wimmer last week.

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Motherwell have been drawn alongside Greenock Morton, Stenhousemuir, Peterhead and Clyde in Group G of the 2025-26 Premier Sports Cup.

Yet to appoint a new manager after the shock exit of Michael Wimmer, the tournament will mark the new boss' first game in charge of the Lanarkshire club, with the opening fixture on 12-13 July and further matchdays on 15-16 July, 19-20 July, 22-23 July and 26-27 July.

The eight group winners and three best runners-up will Scotland's five European entrants - Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibernian and Dundee United - in the last 16 on the weekend of 16-17 August.

Motherwell were semi-finalists last term but lost out narrowly to Rangers at Hampden.

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Shane Blaney is leaving Motherwell, while the managerless club "remain in dialogue" with six other out-of-contract players.

Irish defender Blaney, 26, has made 54 appearances in a two-and-a-half year spell but featured just 17 times last season amid injury troubles.

Also departing is 31-year-old midfielder Ross Callachan, who played just one game in his injury-blighted season at Fir Park, and young forward Mark Ferrie, 19.

The players in talks over a contract extension are Dan Casey, Harry Paton, Moses Ebiye, Steve Seddon, Davor Zdravkovski and Dominic Thompson, with Well saying: "Given the current managerial situation at the club, decisions will be made in the coming weeks with regards to these players."

Ten loan players - Ellery Balcombe, Marvin Kaleta, Kai Andrews, Tony Watt, whose final outing marked his 100th Motherwell appearance, Luke Plange, Will Dickson, Luke Armstrong, Jack Vale and Jair Tavares - return to their parent clubs.

The club added: "It's never easy to say goodbye to players and we are grateful for their efforts at Motherwell.

"With 21 first-team players contracted for next season, recruitment will continue during the summer months as we look to towards the beginning of pre-season in June."

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Motherwell chairman Kyrk Macmillan has called for unity amid an "intense" period after an "urgent" family matter resulted in manager Michael Wimmer leaving the club.

Macmillan says Wimmer's exit to return to and SSV Jahn Regensburg "was a shock for everybody" on Friday.

During the process of recruiting Wimmer in February, Macmillan says there was a "very open conversation about personal circumstances" and the Well board "enquired about what the plans were with family".

However, "new developments" in Wimmer's personal life meant the former Austria Vienna boss wanted to return to his homeland after just three months at Fir Park.

"It's been intense," Macmillan added. "We had a conversation with Michael a couple of days before the [final game of the season].

"There was a lot to take in form his side, a lot of new developments in Michael's personal life back in .

"We looked at a number of options for Michael to stay, he was ultimately happy here. It transpired it wasn't possible for him to fully focus on Motherwell, and at the same time he wanted to take care of his family in ."

Macmillian confirmed assistant coach Ahmet Koc, who ed with Wimmer, is "delighted to be in Scotland" and "wants to continue" his role.

And the Fir Park chairman revealed the club are "right at the beginning" of the process to recruit a new manager.

He adds that the board will follow the same data-influenced procedure that led them to Wimmer.

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Austrian midfielder Lukas Fadinger says he has made a "big step forward" in his career by g for Motherwell.

The 24-year-old s the managerless Fir Park side on a two-year deal after spending the past two seasons with Austrian Bundesliga club Rheindorf Altach.

The Sturm Graz youth product played 61 times for Altach, 26 of which came last season as the team narrowly avoided relegation.

He also has Austrian top-tier experience with Hartberg, where he made 32 appearances in 2022-23, his sole season at the club.

Fadinger says talks with Motherwell began a "couple of months" ago, but since then Michael Wimmer has surprisingly departed as manager.

Despite that, the midfielder is "so happy to be at this club" and is "looking forward to the start of the new season".

"This move excites me, and it's a big step forward in my career," he added.

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Motherwell will return to the Netherlands for their pre-season preparations for the third year in succession.

The team will travel out to their Delden-based camp on 25 June and will play two friendlies in Beckum before returning home a week later.

The Fir Park side will face Eredivisie club FC Twente on 1 July, with their opponent for their first match on 28 June yet to be confirmed.

"er entry and ticket pricing will be confirmed in due course," Motherwell say in a statement.

The Lanarkshire side remain managerless following the shock exit of Michael Wimmer, who left to German third-tier outfit SSV Jahn Regensburg last week.

That means the club have a month to find a new first-team boss before the team are due to go abroad for their pre-season camp.

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Motherwell's fan owners are being asked for their opinions on VAR as the club's majority shareholder considers calling for change.

The Well Society have launched a consultation with looking for opinions on how the technology has impacted their matchday experience.

A number of Scottish Premiership managers have raised serious concerns over the way VAR has impacted the game since being introduced in October 2022.

A Well Society statement read: "Over recent months, concerns have been growing among fans, players and staff across the country regarding the impact VAR is having on the rhythm of matches, the atmosphere in stadiums and trust in refereeing decisions.

"In addition to these concerns, it is important to note that VAR currently costs each club a six-figure sum every season. A significant outlay that further underlines the need for a proper debate about its future.

"In light of this, the Well Society has committed to starting a process of listening and engaging with our and the wider Motherwell .

"Our aim is to gain a clearer understanding of ers' views on VAR and to consider whether the Well Society should take a position in favour of change or call for its removal from Scottish football altogether."

Jenna Thomson
Fan writer

I think that I speak on behalf of every Motherwell fan who opened social media or the BBC Sport app on Friday evening that the news of Michael Wimmer leaving was on no one's bingo card for how the end to the season could go.

The news blindsided fans, and with preseason weeks away, it is a vulnerable time to be looking for a manager.

That being said, after reading the statement and realising Wimmer had to leave due to a sudden family emergency, it makes total sense, and I respect his decision as I know I would do the same thing if I were in his shoes.

He has made the right decision for his family, and that's what matters more than any career, be it in football or even in civilian life as fans.

Wimmer's reign brought us many good things, such as three points at Ibrox, Du Hast by Rammstein as pre-match music, and the most stylish manager in the top flight. It may have been short-lived, but they say good things never last.

We thank you for your efforts, Mr Wimmer, and please know that if the stars align, we would happily accept you back into our club with open arms.

We asked for your thoughts on Michael Wimmer's surprise departure from Motherwell and who might replace him.

Here's what some of you said:

Mark: All the best to him. He got us safe from relegation and also gave us a decent end to the season. The summer will now be very interesting with a new manager hunt and where Lennon Miller will go.

Ross: Disappointing to say the least. I was looking forward to Wimmerball next season and was excited to see how our recruitment would go over the summer. That said, alarm bells started ringing for me when he shared his LinkedIn profile on his Instagram. Bit odd that.

Dillon: Shocked and disappointed! Was gutted to see Stuart Kettlewell go but this feels even worse. There was a tangible excitement going into the summer and next season and it feels like that's just been shattered. Especially concerning as it's season ticket renewal time.

Alan: Wimmer's exit presents us with a major challenge. He brought a positivity and attack-minded approach which produced results at the right time. Let's hope we do not revert to employing someone from the managerial roundabout of failures in Scotland. Another continental manager may be a risk but it's worth taking. We need to move fast given we need new attacking players to us soon. The board need to get it right on the next appointment.

Gavin: I'm disappointed as I felt he could probably do a good job. However, family matters and if this is the real reason, then good luck to him. Certainly, he isn't going to a bigger job, so family issues sound plausible. Ideally, we need to get a replacement in quickly to sort out team issues before the start of the new season. I would prefer not to have the usual crop of options, like Steven Naismith, etc. I'm also unsure about Tony Docherty. Maybe Scott Brown or even big Duncan Ferguson.

Edward: Considering he's already got a job over there, makes you think how long this has been in the making.

Zak: Motherwell should go for a manager that has had experience in the Scottish game not someone that has never played or managed here before. I would personally go for Robbie Neilson because he has lots of experience managing and playing in Scotland and has had lots of success over the years.

Kevin: Embarrassing for the club. A very likeable guy and did a good job keeping us in the league. However, the majority of the performances of late have been very Kettlewell like and I for one think it's a blessing in disguise. The fact it's a third-tier club in his homeland says it all!

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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When Michael Wimmer was appointed Motherwell manager on 17 February, it was a bit of a shock, certainly a surprise name.

His Fir Park exit 96 days later has caused even bigger shockwaves.

The German manager promised proactive football on his arrival, and he delivered it, to some extent.

There was, without doubt, a notable change in the Steelmen's style from his predecessor Stuart Kettlewell's days.

The highlight of his 12 games in charge was a deserved 2-1 win at Ibrox on 1 March, where there was a confidence and swagger about the side.

He too, of course, ensured their Scottish Premiership safety with relative ease, finishing eighth.

During his short spell, Wimmer struggled to nail down his best XI, in no small part due to the large squad at his disposal - something the club will need to adress in the summer among other things.

However, following what turned out to be his final home game in charge nine days ago - a commanding 3-0 win against Kilmarnock - Wimmer said he had "a perfect picture" and "knew everything" about his "brilliant team".

Now the board will need to have a perfect picture of where to turn next.

They are hunting for their fifth boss in under three years to helm a squad Wimmer himself said was "too big" and there's also the future of star midfielder Lennon Miller to sort.

What was shaping up to be an exciting time in ML1 is now looking a little more nervy.

Watch the best of Ross County's draw with Motherwell - which proved to be Michael Wimmer's final game in charge of the Steelmen - as the Highland side are consigned to the Scottish Premiership relegation play-off for the third straight season.

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Michael Wimmer has apologised to Motherwell fans after making the "extremely hard" decision to leave after just 12 games in charge.

The German is returning to his homeland to relegated SSV Jahn Regensburg, who will play in the third tier next season.

Motherwell say they "very reluctantly negotiated a compensation package" with the German side after Wimmer, 44, cited "major family issues" for his desire to accept the new role.

In a farewell statement, Wimmer said: "I want to thank the board and all the staff at the club for the way they welcomed me to Scotland and also ed me so much from when I arrived in February.

"They have done everything to me and my family during my time here.

"This has been an ongoing, extremely difficult position that I have found myself in, and the club have done all they could to me during these challenging times, both while I was in post and while I have been back in .

"I am sorry to all the Motherwell fans; the you have shown me has been outstanding, and I have loved learning about this wonderful club.

"This decision was an extremely hard one for me to make; however, I have decided to move back home, as I need to put my family first and be with them, and I want to thank the board for the understanding shown through these challenging times.

"I hope the club can continue to progress next season. I really enjoyed the time I spent in Scotland. There are great people at the club who are ambitious and want the best for the club going forward. I only wish everyone at Motherwell FC the very best for the future."

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After 96 days and 12 games in charge, Michael Wimmer has surprisingly left his role as Motherwell manager.

The German has returned to his homeland for "family reasons" and has ed SSV Jahn Regensburg in the third tier.

Where do the Fir Park club go from here? Who would you like to see come in?

Tell us all your thoughts

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Michael Wimmer, 44, is close to leaving the Motherwell manager's job to SSV Jahn Regensburg in his native . (Sun), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

Jenna Thomson
Fan writer

The season is officially over. We had some highs and certainly some lows.

Highlights include reaching the League Cup semi-final, the win at St Mirren in December, beating Rangers at Ibrox, and the ladies team making the Scottish Cup last four.

My honest review is that other than the games highlighted above for the men's side it was a fairly average season.

I am hoping with the right backing for his first full campaign in charge, Michael Wimmer will be able to build a strong, attacking squad with some faces from markets we haven't yet explored.

We have the opportunity to sell the club's crown jewel Lennon Miller and invest the proceeds smartly. The £3.25m we got for David Turnbull and the £1m for James Scott came at a vital time and changed a lot for the club. If we can get £6m for Miller, it will make the world of difference.

For the Women of Steel, I am intensely proud of them securing a first top-six finish and reaching a cup semi-final.

I hope the restructuring of the SWPL - from 12 teams to 10 - doesn't widen the already sizeable gap between the top clubs and the rest.

It has been a season of change for both Motherwell sides in many ways and I wish nothing but the best for Wimmer and Paul Brownlie next season.