Sheffield Wednesday's EFL Trophy opponents make 'shock' announcement ahead of cup tie
Tonight’s trophy opponents have made an executive change
Sheffield Wednesday’s EFL Trophy opponents, Sunderland, who visit Hillsborough tonight, have made a ‘shock’ announcement.
The Owls and Sunderland’s under-21s clash at Hillsborough on Tuesday evening in the second group game of the competition. Wednesday took three points at Salford City two weeks ago in the cup, while Sunderland’s youth played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at Accrington Stanley.
The fixture is a far cry from the intense and dramatic League One play-off semi-final in 2022 which The Black Cats edged before going on to secure promotion to the Championship. Sunderland have since gone on an incredible journey, rising into the Premier League and securing European football, where they will play giants AC Milan among others in the Europa League.
The trophy is not a top priority for Wednesday, who return to league action at Huddersfield Town on Saturday, but it will allow some players to get much-needed game-time, just as they did against Salford. It remains to be seen whether Sunderland, who face Brighton in the Premier League this weekend, use the fixture to play any of their senior players who are returning from injury.
Off the field, Sunderland have announced the departure of interim CEO Tom Burwell, who took over from David Bruce, who is now of course at The Owls. The announcement has been described as a ‘shock’. A club statement read: “Tom Burwell has left his position as Interim chief executive officer of Sunderland AFC with immediate effect. The club thanks Tom for his contribution over the past five months and wishes him well for the future. Sunderland AFC owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus will assume the role of executive chairman, working closely with the club’s senior management team to lead the club day-to-day. The club will make no further comment at this time.”
According to the Sunderland Echo, Burwell was well-known to the club’s ownership due to his prominent role in the Bia Sports Group, the overarching company through which Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori manage their sporting portfolio. Following Bruce’s surprise departure, Burwell was charged with managing the club’s transition to a Premier League operation off the pitch. However, he has now left his role just seven months after his appointment.