Sheffield Wednesday have sacked head coach Henrik Pedersen after less than 15 months in charge following back-to-back defeats in five days. The decision came after Saturday's 2-0 South Yorkshire derby defeat at Doncaster Rovers, where supporters chanted for the 48-year-old Dane to leave after seeing the Owls concede twice inside the opening 17 minutes. Matt Hamshaw, who joined Wednesday's coaching staff in August after being sacked by Rotherham United last season, has been placed in interim charge.
The weekend reverse followed another 2-0 loss at Notts County on Tuesday, leaving Wednesday with just one win from six league fixtures and four matches without scoring. During the Doncaster fixture, Pedersen's tactical decision to field attacking winger Kieran Morrison—who is on the books with Liverpool—at left wing-back in a 3-5-2 system backfired, forcing a switch back to a four-man defence after just 20 minutes. The recent slump abruptly halted earlier momentum that saw Pedersen win four of his first five league matches—including a 7-2 win over Bromley—before Wednesday dropped out of the top six.
Pedersen had originally agreed a two-year contract to succeed Danny Rohl, having served as the German's assistant before Rohl departed by mutual consent 12 days prior to last season. His first term in 2025-26 ended with the earliest relegation in EFL history amid supporter boycotts, an 18-point deduction, and administration under previous owner Dejphon Chansiri, whose reign ended in May with a takeover by US consortium Arise Capital Partners. Despite finishing that Championship campaign with 32 defeats, Wednesday released a statement praising Pedersen for providing "stability and leadership" during an "exceptional period in the club's history."
Sporting Director Simon Wilson explained that while Wednesday anticipated a "difficult" start, they expected "a recognisable style of play and greater consistency in our performances," noting: "Although we have accumulated points, we haven't seen enough progress in those areas." Following the Doncaster loss, Pedersen told BBC Radio Sheffield that he was "hurting like they are hurt." Hamshaw now steps in to lead Wednesday for Tuesday's match against sixth-placed Cambridge United as the club aims to regroup for the rest of the season.