Alan Pardew's career since Wembley dance, from quitting CSKA Sofia over racism storm to bizarre spell in Greece

The Sun

17-05-2025

MANCHESTER UNITED won the 2016 FA Cup final courtesy of Jesse Lingard's extra time goal.
But despite Lingard's heroics, the match is best remembered for then- Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew 's infamous touchline jig.
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Boyhood Palace fan Jason Puncheon sent the Eagles faithful at Wembley into delirium by belting the ball beyond David de Gea on 78 minutes.
Celebrating Puncheon's goal, Pardew turned towards his bench wearing a huge grin.
In a moment that would go down in FA Cup folklore, the former Newcastle boss performed the most outrageous example of dad dancing that Wembley Stadium has ever seen.
Unfortunately for Pards and Co, Juan Mata equalised barely three minutes later - with Lingard breaking their hearts in extra time.
Pardew's Palace reign never recovered, and he was duly sacked in December of the same year, following a run of just six wins in 36 matches.
After 11 months out of the game, Pards was back in the Prem - parachuted into West Brom to replace fellow former Palace boss Tony Pulis.
There was nothing for him to dance about at the Hawthorns as he didn't even see out the season - winning just three of his 21 games in charge on the way to the Baggies' relegation. Ouch.
Pardew's next adventure saw him take on another relegation battle, this time in the Eredivisie with ADO Den Haag.
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The Hague side looked doomed with Pards having only won once in eight matches... only for the Covid pandemic to see the season KO'd, thus saving them from the drop.
ADO Den Haag's outgoing boss was reportedly due a £100,000 bonus for avoiding relegation, even having been spared by the season being scrapped.
Upon leaving, Pardew insisted: "If I was formally entitled to an amount I would never want to receive it. In this difficult period I would always return any bonus to the club, which will certainly find a good destination for it."
Pardew's next job saw him take on an advisory role with Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia in November 2020.
Eighteen months later he stepped into the CSKA dugout.
His spell in charge ended in June 2022, when he resigned after a section of racist CSKA fans threw bananas at their own team's black players.
Per Sky Sports, Pardew was "angered and upset" by the incident - and in a subsequent statement he said: "The events before and after the match against Botev Plovdiv were unacceptable not only for me, but also for my assistant Alex Dyer and for my players. Our players decided to play out of loyalty towards the club.
"This small group of organised racist fans, who tried to sabotage the game, are not the fans I want to coach the team in front of. That's definitely not the right way for CSKA because such club deserves a lot more."
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Pardew's most-recent managerial role took him to Greece, where he would win nine of his 22 games in charge of Aris Thessaloniki prior to his February 2023 exit.
Since his last managerial job, Pardew has shifted into punditry.
He co-hosts a show on talkSPORT on Sunday nights alongside DJ Mastestic, and he could recently be seen starring in a Paddy Power advert alongside the likes of Joe Cole and Glenn Hoddle.
While Pardew can be found on the radio these days, he will not be seen at Wembley during his former club's FA Cup final... because he doesn't want memories of his dad dancing to overshadow yet another final.
The 63-year-old said: "I told Steve (Parish) that this team deserves so much credit.
"The problem with 2016 is that the team didn't get enough. Every time it comes up in conversation, my dance comes up with it.
"And I don't want there to be even the slightest chance of that happening this time.
'I don't mind talking about it. It was just an off-the-cuff reaction to a goal. No shame. But this cup final should be about this Palace team.
'I've told Steve that if they win, I will celebrate with him at the Wolves game next Tuesday instead.
"But I'll be watching from home for sure.'
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