Barnsley have announced the decision to part ways with manager Poya Asbaghi.

The 36-year old joined the club midway through the campaign, but was unable to steer the club away from a relegation battle.

The club also confirmed that his assistant manager Ferran Sibila will also join Asbaghi in their exit from the Tykes.

Barnsley released a statement announcing the decision in which they thanked the Swede for his efforts with the team this season.

“On behalf of Barnsley Football Club, I would like to thank both Poya and Ferran for their hard work and professionalism during a difficult time,” said Khaled El-Ahmad, the club’s CEO, via the official Barnsley website.

“Our search for a new coach has already started and an announcement will follow once that process is concluded.”

A defeat on Friday night to Huddersfield Town sealed the Tykes’ fate for the season as they will now join Derby County in being demoted to League One for the next campaign.

This is a big fall from grace compared to last season, when Valerien Ismael led the team to a top six finish.

A poor start to the season couldn’t be recovered despite many instances where it looked like Asbaghi’s side may stage an unlikely escape.

But with an 11-point gap to 21st place Reading with only three games remaining this season, Barnsley have been relegated.

Asbaghi also thanked everyone who he worked alongside at Oakwell during his brief time with the team.

“I want to thank everybody at Oakwell for their time and efforts over the last months, this of course includes players, fans and staff,” said the former Barnsley boss, via the club’s website.

“It’s been a real privilege to work in Barnsley and I wish everybody all the very best for the upcoming seasons.”

Barnsley must now prepare for life in the third division, but still must play their final few Championship games before the reality for next season truly sets in.

Next up for the team is the visit of Blackpool on April 26.

The Verdict

Asbaghi certainly had a positive impact on the team relative to where they were before his appointment in November 2021.

However, this is still quite the difference from 12 months ago when the club was preparing to compete in the play-offs.

Barnsley will now need to focus their efforts on gaining promotion back to the Championship for next season.

That could mean a busy summer ahead with a new manager and likely a lot of transfer activity around the side.