CITY OF SUNDERLAND: Sunderland has appointed former Wales boss Chris Coleman as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal, the English Championship club said on Sunday. The 47-year-old replaces Simon Grayson, who was sacked by the second-tier club at the end of October after only 18 games in charge. “The football club has conducted a thorough process over the last three weeks to identify the best manager for the job, before and after which Chris was the clear first choice,” Sunderland chief executive Martin Bain said in a statement. “We are delighted that he and Kit Symons, his assistant manager, have joined us, and are now focused on working together to get the football club moving in the right direction.” Published in Daily Times, November 20th 2017.