Motherwell head coach, Jens Berthel Askou has departed Motherwell to join French outfit, Toulouse.
Motherwell this evening confirmed the departure of Askou to Ligue 1 side, Toulouse after an excellent campaign in the Scottish Premiership despite rumoured interest by Celtic.
Jens brought some of the best football in the league to Fir Park in which was his first season in Scotland in which the Danish boss took the Steelmen to a fourth place finish with Conference League football awaiting next season.
Motherwell managed to defeat Celtic for the first time in a decade as well as winning away at Ibrox as well as Calum Ward racking up an exceptional 17 clean sheets and finishing top of the golden glove as well as Maswanhise who also had a brilliant season, netting 22 times all season which has gone unnoticed by clubs across Europe.
After grabbing their highest league season ending in 13 years, the Dane makes a move over to France after a formal approach a few days ago and agreeing the compensation fee which saw both parties agree personal terms ahead of the deal.
“Grateful is the best word to describe how I feel about my time as a manager of Motherwell FC,” Jens Berthel Askou said.
“This past year has been an amazing journey. The buy-in and support from players, staff, board members, volunteers and supporters have been invaluable for me to lead the development of the club. There have been so many special moments along the way, but the way the season ended with a hard-fought win at Easter Road, leaving the club in a position of chasing European football next season, couldn’t have been written better.
“Special opportunities come rare in football. And you don’t know when they present themselves. So sometimes you have to leave great things behind to create new ones no matter how hard it is.
“This year has not just been a year of joy, excitement, togetherness and success. It has also been a glimpse into the future. A glimpse of what this club is capable of when executing ambitions strategically and boldly.
“Now I will follow this future from outside. Excited and optimistic on behalf of everyone at Motherwell Football Club. Knowing that I played a small part. And with memories of something truly special.
“A huge THANK YOU to everyone who I’ve met along the way. Mon the Well.”
As it stands, all staff within the club will remain.
“First of all, I want to wish Jens all the very best for the future,” Chairman Kyrk Macmillan said.
“When we brought Jens to Motherwell, there was an understanding that if there was success, the club wouldn’t stand in the way of Jens progressing to his next club if it was the correct opportunity at the right time.
“Toulouse is a club playing in one of the top-five divisions in Europe, and it is an excellent opportunity for him. I hope this move brings him more success. Thank you, Jens.
“This season has been a special one. I’m a Motherwell fan, and it has been a joy to watch the team operate at such a high level. It’s no secret that we have got a strategy in place that we will continue to build upon our model, using the same principles, as we enter this new campaign. Managers leaving a club can be a hard pill to swallow, and whilst we appreciate Jens for what he has done here in the last 11 months, we have been continually working on contingencies and learnings to ensure we do not rip up and start again but continue to build and grow.
“There’s lots to be excited about. We have over 20 contracted first-team players, European football on the horizon and crowds are 40% up at Fir Park. We will continue working hard behind the scenes and will update supporters in due course. This is the start of a journey, not the end.”
