Robert de Pauw has left his role as manager of Aston Villa Women after just six months in charge.
The Women’s Super League side currently sit ninth in the table – after picking up just six points from nine matches – with just one win under their belt this season.
In a statement on Wednesday, the club wrote: ‘We would like to thank Robert for his commitment during his time in charge and wish him well for the future’.
While results likely played a major role in De Pauw’s departure, reports also claim that there had been allegations that he’d made inappropriate remarks to players.
According to The Guardian, concerns were raised internally about the Dutchman’s allegedly unprofessional remarks and that it was looked into by the club.
The WSL side opted to announce De Pauw’s exit just hours before their clash against Charlton on Wednesday evening.
Robert de Pauw has left his role as manager of Aston Villa Women after just six months
The Women’s Super League side have won just one match in the nine since De Pauw joined
The Dutchman also shared a cryptic post onto his LinkedIn less than a day before leaving
The news comes less than a day after De Pauw shared a cryptic post on LinkedIn.
De Pauw wrote: ‘As a football manager the hardest thing is the loads of daily choices you have to make. Short term, long term.
‘Popular decisions, unpopular decisions. Weekly having to disappoint players because you can only play 11 and have to disappoint 14 others.
‘You need the backing of the club if you want the team to go from average, to good, to better, to top. This reselecting and developing of a team is [a] necessary thing to do to make these steps.
‘I did this in Leverkusen the past two seasons selecting on football, behaviour and characteristics of the players. I never shy away from difficult decisions and I will certainly not win the popularity contests.
‘Because you can never satisfy everyone. But always keeping standards high to get the best out of the team and each other.’
He then shared a link to an article regarding his exit from previous club Bayer Leverkusen – which claimed De Pauw had ‘laid the foundations’ at the club.
Along with his stint at Vila, De Pauw has also managed FC Twente Women and Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women.
