MARCO Silva said “Fulham will always be in my heart” as he announced his departure following five years at Craven Cottage.
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna was the odds-on favourite to take over early this week.
Silva, 48, was appointed in the summer of 2021 after the Cottagers were relegated to the Championship under Scott Parker.
Portuguese boss Silva, who had been in charge of Hull City, Watford and Everton, led the side to the title in his first season in charge, when Aleksandar Mitrovic broke the Championship goal-scoring record, scoring 43 times.
Fulham established themselves in the Premier League in 2022-23, finishing tenth. They also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup before losing 3-1 to Manchester United.
A thirteenth-placed finish followed in the next campaign. There was another knockout run, this time to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup where they lost 3-2 on aggregate to eventual champions Liverpool.
There was a sense of history repeating in 2024-25 when Silva led the side to eleventh in the league and again to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. There was major disappointment when Fulham flopped at home, losing 3-0 to Crystal Palace. It was the Eagles, and not Fulham, who went on to win the first major trophy in their history when Oliver Glasner’s side beat Manchester City 1-0 in the final.
It fed into the feeling of stasis after the end of that season, that Silva had taken Fulham as far as he could.
Silva was linked to other jobs, including at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
In his final season in West London, Silva guided the side to another eleventh-placed finish and to the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, before Newcastle United beat them 2-1 at St James’ Park.
It was Silva’s last shot at winning a first major trophy in England and with his contract running down he decided to leave.
Silva wrote an open letter to Fulham fans this week, including thanking owner Shahid Khan, Khan’s son Tony, and chief executive officer Alistair Mackintosh.
It read: “After five years, our journey together comes to an end. I leave with a feeling I was told when I first arrived – that Fulham Football Club is a family.
“Thanks to Mr Khan, Tony and Alistair for their support and, above all, for the relationship we built.
“Thank you for the great work of all the club staff members behind the scenes.
“The players will be left with great memories and moments that we shared together through our hard work.
“Last, but not least, to our fans. I asked you from day one, to always be with us. And that’s what you did these past five years. “We achieved a lot together.
“My staff and I always felt your support. It will never be forgotten.
“Fulham will always be in my heart, and sooner or later I will be back at Craven Cottage.”
Shahid Khan added: “Marco Silva leaves our club with my gratitude and best wishes. Fulham and Marco were an excellent fit for five seasons, but change is inevitable in this game, and we’ve accordingly prepared for this moment.
“The talent in our squad, our historic home ground of Craven Cottage, our faithful supporters, and my commitment to backing the club, all make Fulham an extraordinarily attractive destination for an incoming head coach.
“We will soon appoint a new leader in a timely but deliberate manner, who will meet the standards of our club and expectations of our fans throughout the world.”
Silva was expected to return to Portugal to the over at Benfica, who saw their manager Jose Mourinho return to Real Madrid this summer on a three-year deal.
McKenna, who has led the Tractor Boys to two promotions to the Premier League in the last three seasons, was the clear favourite to succeed Silva.
Former Brentford and Spurs boss Thomas Frank, ex-Cottagers defender and Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior, and Coventry City manager Frank Lampard were also among the frontrunners.
