Meet the opposition | Birmingham City
As Swansea City get set to travel to face Birmingham City, we take a closer look at the Blues.
What’s their story?
Birmingham City trace their roots back to 1875, when they were established as Small Heath Alliance. The club subsequently became known as Small Heath and then Birmingham before adopting the Birmingham City name in 1943.
The Blues were among the founding members of the Football League Second Division and made history by becoming the competition’s inaugural champions.
St. Andrew’s has been Birmingham’s home for 118 years, with the club having played at the ground throughout that time.
Their best-ever league finish came in 1955-56, when they placed sixth in the First Division. That same season also saw Birmingham reach the FA Cup final, matching their best-ever finish in the competition after they had also finished runners-up in 1931.
Birmingham have lifted the EFL Cup twice, winning the competition in 1963 and 2011, while they were beaten finalists in 2001.
The Blues are now in their second season back in the Championship, having secured promotion as League One champions in 2025 following their relegation from the second tier in 2024.
How’s their form?
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Who’s the manager?
Chris Davies took charge of Birmingham City in the summer of 2024 and enjoyed a remarkable first season, leading the Blues to the League One title with a record 111-point haul.
A promising young midfielder, Davies was forced to retire at 19 due to an arthritic condition in his foot and immediately moved into coaching.
He joined Brendan Rodgers' staff at Swansea City in 2010, helping the club win promotion to the Premier League before following Rodgers to Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester City.
Davies enjoyed considerable success during those spells, including back-to-back trebles at Celtic and the FA Cup and Community Shield at Leicester.
He later worked as Ange Postecoglou's senior assistant at Tottenham before taking his first managerial role with Birmingham.
Who’s the captain?
Christoph Klarer is the current captain of Birmingham City and has established himself as a key figure at the heart of the Blues' defence.
The Austrian defender began his career at Rapid Vienna before joining Southampton in 2016, where he progressed through the club's academy and represented the Under-18s.
Klarer returned to Austria on loan with SKN St. Pölten in 2020 before moving into German football later that year with Fortuna Düsseldorf.
He spent three seasons with Düsseldorf before joining newly promoted Bundesliga side Darmstadt 98 in 2023. Following their relegation after one season, Klarer returned to England in July 2024, joining Birmingham on a three-year deal.
He quickly became an important part of the Blues' defence during their 2024-25 League One title-winning campaign, helping the club secure promotion with a record 111-point haul. His performances earned him a place in the PFA League One Team of the Year, with Klarer one of seven Birmingham players selected.
Who are the key players?
August Priske is the leading scorer for the Blues, having scored eight goals in 14 appearances so far this term.
Birmingham fought off strong competition from a host of European clubs in January to capture the signing of the striker, who was top scorer in Sweden’s Allsvenskan in 2025.
Born in Denmark, Priske began his career with spells at FC Midtjylland and FC Copenhagen before taking on further loan spells in the Netherlands.
Since his arrival in B9, Priske has emerged as a key attacking threat for the Blues, looking to continue his fine form in front of goal following his brace against Lincoln City last weekend.
Jay Stansfield has finished as Birmingham City's top goalscorer in each of the last three seasons and remains a key figure in the Blues' attack.
The son of former Exeter City striker Adam Stansfield, Jay came through the Grecians' academy before joining Fulham in 2019.
He returned to Exeter on loan in 2022-23, wearing the number nine shirt previously retired in honour of his late father, and scored a hat-trick in his final game against Morecambe.
Stansfield then joined Birmingham on loan in 2023-24 and was named their Player of the Season before returning permanently in August 2024.
He scored 19 league goals during Birmingham's League One title-winning campaign and was named in the PFA League One Team of the Year. He has also represented England at Under-21 level and helped them win the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.