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Return of Max Walter
Posted: 11 Dec 2025, 17:22
by ShireNiner
Max Walter: “I’m ready to get back.” Former QPR and Stuttgart manager looking to come back to the game
Walter won three trophies while managing in London and Germany /ShireNiner PS5 Images
By: Marco Venturi
June 10, 2025 | European Football
May 27, 2023, Max Walter shocked the football world by announcing he was stepping away to take a break from the game. The 45 year old manager just won the DFB Pokal in Germany and finished third in the league after exiting in the final eight of the Champions League. The German American was one of the most promising young managers in the world when he decided to step down.
“I’m mentally at a point where I just want a break.” Walter announced, “I have young kids, I’ve been doing this nonstop for nearly seven years. Eat, sleep, breathe football. My mind needs a break.” He said when addressing the media. “The team has known. The club has known. I’m leaving Stuttgart in the best position I can. Every club I leave, I want to leave better than when I arrived.”
Walter did that in London with QPR and in Stuttgart. Taking over the R’s in 2016, Walter led them to promotion in his second season by winning the Championship. Season three he led QPR to survival in the Premier League and in season four, led them to a Europa League finish before moving to Germany.
At Stuttgart, the rise was even quicker. Winning the Bundesliga in his second season and winning the DFB Pokal cup in his third before announcing his sabbatical. 
VfB Stuttgart lifting the DFB Pokal
Walter, a former youth player under Sir Alex Ferguson before retiring early due to injuries, has always played a 4-2-3-1 formation with the focus on a high pressing and winning the ball as soon as possible. “If we have possession, they cannot score.” Walter has said in the past, promoting attack play, high possession style and shooting as often as possible.
“Nobody comes to watch football be boring. Fans want excitement. Players want to play freely and that is what the game deserves.” Walter made headlines in 2018 when he called out Jose Mourihno for “dinosaur tactics” and said Antonio Conte can “never be happy with a toupee like that” when addressing a late game skirmish between QPR and Chelsea. The manager has always been one to speak his mind and never shy away from a topic or question. Characteristics that made him both loved and hated in England and Germany.
In seven seasons, Max Walter has a career record of 184-64-88, winning the EFL Champions, Bundesliga, and DFB Pokal.
Now he’s coming back. Ready to take on Europe again and finish something he has not yet done. “I want a Champions League Trophy. I want a Premier League trophy and I want to bring the fun back into this game that has turned into a rich man’s hobby.”
The only question now is, where will he be doing it?
What did you think of this story?
Marco Venturi is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering European Football. He previously covered Italian Football for Football Italia. He is based in Milan.. Follow Marco on Twitter @Marcosfake
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Return of Max Walter
Posted: 11 Dec 2025, 17:23
by ShireNiner
Career Mode Details Coming
Return of Max Walter
Posted: 11 Dec 2025, 17:23
by ShireNiner
Saving
Return of Max Walter
Posted: 11 Dec 2025, 17:24
by ShireNiner
Posting now open. Bringing back a manager I used in FIFA 17-19 named Max Walter. All the details with QPR, Stuttgart and the records are my records from those games. Unfortunately, the EA forums are gone or else I would be able to link for the archives and bring back more details, but the records is the best I can provide for a backstory.
Future club pending.
Return of Max Walter
Posted: 11 Dec 2025, 18:27
by redsox907
don't follow soccer, but will likely randomly pop in to troll
Return of Max Walter
Posted: 11 Dec 2025, 19:20
by Xixak
Bro looking generic as hell in that first pic but following!
Return of Max Walter
Posted: 11 Dec 2025, 22:22
by ShireNiner
redsox907 wrote: ↑11 Dec 2025, 18:27
don't follow soccer, but will likely randomly pop in to troll
Appreciate it!
Xixak wrote: ↑11 Dec 2025, 19:20
Bro looking generic as hell in that first pic but following!
That's a pic from FIFA 18 I believe, back when you couldn't change your manager's appearance. I grabbed an old pic since that was his last time managing.
Return of Max Walter
Posted: 11 Dec 2025, 23:15
by ShireNiner
Where can Max Walter possibly land? We list the team's most likely to make a move.
Max Walter is waiting, what club will make the call first this December? /ShireNiner PS5 Images
By: Léa Morel
December 1, 2025 | Premier League
Back in June, Max Walter announced he is interested in becoming a manager again. Over the last six months, rumors have been swirling about where Walter will go and what club will make the first move. According to Walter's agent, multiple clubs have reached out over the past few months, but Walter has rejected them all for different reasons.
Sources around the league believe an announcement is coming soon but nobody knows the exact club. Here is what we do know so far;
It will not be a traditional "Big Six"
The easy options to remove are the quote-unquote Big Six in England. Manchester United and Manchester City are set with their managers and inside sources have confirmed they will not be changing. Arsenal is leading the table and are married to Mikel Arteta as long as things continue to progress. Tottenham and Chelsea have had ups and downs, but both are willing to give their managers time to settle in before making another drastic change. And last, the Red, Liverpool will not be moving from Slot just yet. While sources say his seat is getting hot, winning the title last season plus seeing changes in the old guard of Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson have bought the bald one more time.
Clubs happy with their guy
After the top clubs, are the clubs currently happy with their manager and not interested in a switch this December. Crystal Palace are loving life right now with Glasgow and sitting in fourth. Aston Villa see themselves as title contenders and are not interested in a move. Everton, Brighton, Sunderland, and Bournemouth are all in good positions on the table and see no reason for a change. This leaves eight clubs left that could be connected to Walter, if they so wish to make a managerial change.
The two Walter would write off
Over the years, Max Walter has not been shy about his issues with the "rich and snobby" as owners. Walter is always looking to make a partnership with the ownership and due to this, has avoided the big clubs where the board members make as much headline as the on-pitch product. Due to this, ShireNiner Nation does not believe Newcastle or Nottingham Forest would be an option. While no source from Walter's camp has confirmed this, both clubs' ownership groups are exactly the personalities Walter has avoided in the past. "He would never last with that attention being brought to the club. It would make Jose vs United look like a walk in the park." One source said.
The real options
This leaves a small list of clubs left that Walter could be interested in taking over. Starting from the bottom, Wolves, Burnley, and West Ham all look like potential fits. It is more likely that Walter would say no to these clubs than the other way around due to the amount of work each club would take to become competitive. Leeds United and Fulham are two other options. Leeds are just above the relegation battle and have a strong following in a town dedicated to the club, exactly the surrounding the Walter would thrive in. Fulham are setup the best out of these clubs but with Walter's ties to QPR, going to their rival could hurt his connection with the R fans.
Last, and the option that ShireNiner Nation is leading towards. Brentford. Keith Andrews has done a respectable job since Thomas Frank left, taking the Bees to 14th in the table, six points above the relegation zone and seven points from the top four but Andrews is not seen as a long-term manager or as a manager that can improve Brentford. "He was an easy hire, a safe bet that would keep them up. Nothing more." A Premier League source told ShireNiner Nation, "If Walter is interested, Brentford would jump at the chance."
The Bees are the type of club Walter would enjoy. Smart decision making, low profile, low spending, small squad, and they already play a formation that suits Walter. The blocks are there, the foundation is set, he would just have to come in and add the missing pieces.
Wherever Walter chooses, expect the choice to come soon. December is already here, 15 weeks of the season are gone and any drastic second half changes would have to happen soon before the season is too late.
What did you think of this story?
Léa Morel is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering the Premier League. She previously covered women’s football for SkySports. She is based in London, UK. Follow Léa on Twitter @Léasfake
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Return of Max Walter
Posted: 12 Dec 2025, 16:15
by ShireNiner
Max Walter Returns to the Premier League — and to an Old Mentor — as Everton’s New Manager
Everton's new stadium is the backdrop to the new Walter and Moyes partnership for the future /ShireNiner PS5 Images
By: Léa Morel
December 8, 2025 | Premier League
For six months, rumors have swirled and every job opening from England to Germany to France was linked with Max Walter. And on a crisp December morning at Finch Farm, it finally happened: Max Walter is back.
Everton announced Saturday that Walter has been appointed first-team manager on a three-year deal, ending one of the most widely monitored managerial searches in recent league memory. The news comes alongside a major internal restructuring for the club, as David Moyes transitions into a newly created position — Director of Football Development and Long-Term Strategy — effectively a senior advisory role shaping Everton’s football identity for the next decade.
For Walter, 48, the move is a return not just to English football, but to one of the key architects of his career. Before the trophies in Stuttgart, before the headlines at QPR, before the “dinosaur tactics” jab that rattled London in 2018, Walter was a young midfielder in Manchester United’s academy, absorbing lessons from Sir Alex Ferguson and later, from Moyes himself.
Now, more than a decade later, mentor and protégé are reunited — this time on the blue side of Merseyside. Club sources told ShireNiner Network that Moyes pushed for Walter early in the process, framing the German-American as “the ideal modernizer” to guide the post-Moshiri, post-chaos era of Everton Football Club. Walter’s personal history at United created a level of trust not often seen in managerial hires.
“David knows what Max is like behind the scenes,” said one Everton executive. “Work ethic, honesty, tactical clarity. If we’re building something sustainable, these two are aligned on almost everything.” 
After injuries ended Walter’s playing career, he stayed at Carrington as part of United’s youth development staff. Under Ferguson, and then under Moyes’ short but influential tenure, Walter earned a reputation as an obsessive planner — a trait that would drive his rapid rise at QPR and later in Germany.
Their mentorship bond never broke. According to club sources, Moyes personally called Walter in late October to gauge his interest should Everton pursue a restructuring at the top. Walter didn’t commit then — but he listened. Walter’s camp received inquiries from nearly a dozen clubs since June. Many were rejected because the structure, ownership personality, or squad environment didn’t align with his vision.
Moyes' pitch was simple, he did not want to continue managing the day to day on the pitch tasks but he wanted to set Everton up for years to come. Moyes was not willing to step down until he knew the next manager coming in was one, he could trust.
Three reasons, according to those familiar with negotiations are what finally brought Walter to Everton:
A senior agent who has worked with Walter for years said it plainly: “Max would rather take a club from 12th to 4th than inherit one already in the Champions League. The build of the squad, the connection with the fans, the process of it all is what Max is all about. Then, once that is done, he can enjoy winning trophies and feeling accomplished.”
Discussions intensified quickly over the past two weeks, after internal reviews confirmed that Moyes’ future at the club was moving upstairs. Within three days in early December, Walter had toured Finch Farm, met with owners John Textor and the MSP Sports Capital group and then agreed to a contract with the club.
He signed late Friday night, sources told SNN. One notable detail: part of his agreement includes expanded input on academy development — a nod to his earliest coaching years and a cornerstone of Moyes’ new position.
The creation of Moyes’ new role is not ceremonial to let the veteran manager ride off quietly. Sources say he will act as a structural architect, overseeing long-term planning, recruitment philosophy, player development, and multi-year squad mapping. Think of it as an Everton version of Ralf Rangnick’s “builder” role in Germany — except this time with a manager he trusts deeply.
For Walter, it provides something he hasn’t had since Stuttgart: alignment from the boardroom down. For Moyes, it’s a return to shaping Everton’s future instead of firefighting its present.
What did you think of this story?
Léa Morel is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering the Premier League. She previously covered women’s football for SkySports. She is based in London, UK. Follow Léa on Twitter @Léasfake
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Return of Max Walter
Posted: 12 Dec 2025, 16:34
by Soapy
