Steve Cooper Returns to Football with UEFA Role Just Months After Leicester Exit
Steve Cooper is back in the football scene, and this time, it’s in a different capacity. Just four months after his dismissal from Leicester City, the former Nottingham Forest and Swansea manager has landed a new role—this time with UEFA.
At 45, Cooper was let go by Leicester in November following a tough start to the season, managing just two wins from twelve Premier League matches. But instead of jumping straight back into management, he’s taken on a fresh challenge as a UEFA technical observer.
His first assignment? Analyzing Feyenoord’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan on Wednesday night. As a technical observer, Cooper isn’t just watching the game; he’s breaking it down from a tactical and coaching perspective. His role involves analyzing match strategies, selecting the Player of the Match, and providing detailed reports that help coaches and football analysts across Europe.
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For his first official game in the role, Cooper witnessed Lautaro MartÃnez making history for Inter Milan, becoming the club’s all-time top scorer in the European Cup/Champions League with his 18th goal in the competition. Unsurprisingly, Cooper picked MartÃnez as the Player of the Match, recognizing his standout performance in Inter’s 2-0 victory over Feyenoord.
This UEFA role is no small gig. Cooper joins an elite group of technical observers that includes experienced names like Gareth Southgate, Rafael BenÃtez, Avram Grant, and David Moyes. Even former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær held a similar position before returning to management with Besiktas earlier this year.
Speaking about the role, Solskjær previously described it as a unique opportunity to stay close to the game, keep up with evolving tactical trends, and interact with top football minds in a more relaxed setting. Moyes also praised the experience, highlighting how the insights gained from observing top-level coaching can be applied even to youth and grassroots football.
For Cooper, this might be a temporary stop before he returns to management. He was recently linked with a potential move to Middlesbrough, though that didn’t materialize. However, this UEFA role allows him to stay engaged in football, sharpen his analytical skills, and possibly prepare for his next managerial challenge.
His time at Leicester may not have gone as planned, but Cooper’s success with Nottingham Forest—where he guided them to Premier League promotion in 2022—remains a testament to his coaching abilities. Whether this UEFA stint leads to another club job or becomes a longer-term endeavor, one thing is clear: Steve Cooper is far from done with football.
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