Jose Riga sixth managerial change at Charlton in two years under Roland Duchatelet
Friday 15 January 2016 11:09, UK
Jose Riga is back at Charlton as owner Roland Duchatelet rolls the dice again.
Belgian businessman Duchatelet - who owns a network of clubs across Europe - has now made six changes of head coach since taking control in January 2014 of the struggling Sky Bet Championship club, which sits three points from safety and without a win in 10 games.
Here Sky Sports looks back at the men who have come through the doors at The Valley during an unsettled few seasons...
Chris Powell - January 2011 to March 2014
Charlton record: P161 W66 D43 L52 (under Duchatelet: P11 W4 D1 L6)
Former Charlton defender Powell was in charge when Duchatelet took control in early 2014 and lasted just two months under his ownership.
Still a fan favourite, Powell led his team to the League One title in 2012 with a club-record 101 points and followed that up with a ninth-place Championship finish the following season.
But he was axed after failing to reach an agreement with Duchatelet over the club's strategy. "The situation put a strain on the working relationship between Chris and the board," admitted the owner, who is understood to have wanted players from his network to feature, as opposed to Powell's preference for trusted pros.
Powell went on to take charge of Huddersfield for just over a year, before being replaced by former Borussia Dortmund assistant David Wagner. He is currently out of work.
Jose Riga - March 2014 to May 2014
Charlton record: P16 W7 D3 L6
The first of Duchatelet's rotation of coaches from his list of other clubs, Riga was always a short-term appointment whose objective was to avoid relegation. He came from the AC Milan academy - where he was a member of the technical staff - having previously managed Belgian club Standard Liege, the main focus of Duchatelet's attentions at the time.
Despite scepticism from Charlton fans, Riga ensured their Championship status was preserved with a few games to spare. A 3-1 home win over Watford guaranteed safety and led to calls for him to become permanent boss.
Instead, he left at the end of the season having been in charge for only 16 games - winning nearly half of them - and later spent four months at Blackpool before spells at Standard Liege and Metz.
Bob Peeters - May 2014 to January 2015
Charlton record: P28 W7 D13 L8
Arguably the most recognisable name to have arrived at The Valley during Duchatelet's reign, Bob Peeters had spent time in south London as a player previosuly - but for fierce local rivals Millwall.
He came to The Valley with four years of managerial experience - mostly in Belgium, including time at Pro League side Gent in the 2012/13 season.
Peeters' tenure at Charlton began well, an unbeaten start to the season igniting hopes of a play-off push, but a series of draws saw the team's challenge falter by Christmas. Indeed, draws were a regular feature of his reign and he was one short of a 50-per-cent return on that front over his 28-game tenure.
Peeters was dismissed in January 2015 and moved back to Belgium to take similar roles at Lokeren then Westerlo, where he still remains in charge today.
Guy Luzon - January 2015 to October 2015
Charlton record: P36 W12 D9 L15
Luzon's appointment did not impress Charlton fans wary of reports from Standard Liege supporters of poor performances and results. He was appointed only two-and-a-half months after losing his job in Belgium.
Luzon previously spent three years as Israel's Under-21 coach and oversaw a win against England at the 2013 European U21 Championships. Despite being relieved of his duties by Liege, his tenure remains the longest of any Charlton manager under Duchatelet yet. He won a third of his 36 games in charge and earned a comfortable mid-table finish in the 2014-15 season.
Karel Fraeye - October 2015 to January 2016
Charlton record: P14 W2 D4 L8
The latest casualty of the Charlton managerial merry-go-round, Fraeye was appointed on an interim basis following Luzon's departure and lasted less than two months. Another Belgian, he came straight from third-tier side VW Hamme, having previously been Riga's assistant in his first stay at The Valley.
Fraeye's previous experiences at Charlton counted for little and he failed to make the job his on a permanent basis. He won only twice, victories coming in back-to-back games against Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham in November.
The defeats Fraeye oversaw were more damaging than the successes he had were helpful. A 4-0 defeat at Burnley, a 3-0 reverse against Ipswich and 5-0 loss at Huddersfield all worked against him and he was sacked on Wednesday.
Jose Riga - January 2016 to ?
Riga is back at The Valley on an 18-month contract and has a job on his hands, the club 23rd in the Championship and three points from safety. Can he save them again?
"It was crucial we dealt with the position of the head coach," Duchatelet said. "Jose did an excellent job in his short period with Charlton two seasons ago. He was very popular with supporters and I believe that he will get us back on track."
Duchatelet may be confident but fans who have repeatedly protested at off-field instability will wait anxiously to see whether or not their owner's latest change pays off.
