Paul Tisdale leaves Exeter after 12 years
Friday 1 June 2018 18:20, UK
Paul Tisdale, who was the longest-serving manager in English football, has left Exeter after 12 years as manager.
Tisdale endured Wembley heartache for the second consecutive season on Monday, losing 3-1 to Coventry in the Sky Bet League Two play-off final.
He refused to commit his future to the club following the defeat and Sky Sports News understands MK Dons plan to open talks with him this week over their vacant manager's role.
In a statement, Tisdale said: "I would like to note that the club did everything in its power to keep me and for that I am extremely grateful.
"However, I feel now is the correct time for some careful personal consideration regarding my own career. To do so, I must first provide the club with absolute certainty in its planning for the upcoming campaign by standing aside.
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"Through my tenure, I have shown unwavering commitment and loyalty to Exeter Football Club and am proud to have been the longest-serving manager in the country and the most successful manager in the clubs history.
"It has been an honour to serve Exeter City over the last 12 years and I am immensely proud of the progress made both on and off the football pitch."
Exeter chairman Julian Tagg said the club had offered the best remuneration it possibly could to keep Tisdale.
"Our offer of a new contract to Paul came with our express desire that he sign it in order to allow the club to plan and go forward with certainty," he said.
"It is of course entirely Paul's prerogative that he should choose to let the club's deadline for a decision pass, but we are now at the point where we must move on and unexpectedly plan for a future without Paul as our manager."
Tisdale has twice won promotion with Exeter during his prolonged spell at the club.
However, his relationship with Exeter fans has been strained in recent months, with calls for him to resign after a 3-1 defeat at Stevenage in April.
He admitted he had felt taken for "granted" during his tenure.
