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La Liga Focus - Villarreal and Valladolid dispatch of their Coaches
In continuance of the recent trend, it is Coaches who have been the focus of Spanish attention this week.
Villarreal announced on Sunday that Coach Ernesto Valverde had been sacked following the side’s humbling 2-0 defeat to Osasuna at El Madrigal. It capped off a turbulent five months for the former Athletic Bilbao striker, who has seen his side struggle for form during his 20 league matches in charge. The Yellow Submarine have spent the majority of the campaign as the league’s bottom club, having failed to produce a win in their opening seven matches. Their first triumph finally arrived when they beat Málaga 2-1 in October, and the team looked to have found their form after the subsequent 5-0 thrashing of Tenerife. Despite some selected results, including a draw at the Camp Nou and a win at the Vicente Calderón, their season has failed to gain momentum. November and December saw just two defeats, but the side won only one game in January, falling to Segunda B outfit Celta Vigo in the Copa Del Rey, before losing to both Valencia and Osasuna in La Liga. In his place, the club have promoted Juan Carlos Garrido, the Coach of Villarreal B since 2002, to first-team Coach. His appointment comes at a crucial time for the club. Having played 20 matches, they find themselves in ninth place, 10 behind the coveted Champions League qualification spots.
February is littered with games of great importance, starting at the ONO Estadi against fifth-place Mallorca on Sunday, before encounters with Athletic Bilbao (eighth), Real Madrid (second) and Deportivo La Coruña (sixth). Should they come through the run relatively unscathed, they are treated to a March of lesser difficulty, including ties against Espanyol, Xerez, Málaga and Tenerife. Villarreal were not the only club to make managerial changes this week. Real Valladolid announced that, following the lacklustre 1-1 draw with Almeria at the José Zorrilla, Coach José Luis Mendilibar had been sacked. He had been at the club for three seasons prior to the current campaign, having taken the team from Segunda B in his first season in charge before stabilizing in Spain’s top division. Form has eluded the side this season, and they have won just three matches. The Pucela now find themselves one point above the relegation zone courtesy of a staggering nine league draws.
They too have placed their trust in a man of relative inexperience. Reserve team Coach Onésimo Sánchez has been promoted to take charge of the first-team, and has called for confidence from the Club’s President and board. He told Diario AS: “I asked for confidence and the President has given that to me. I have fulfilled my dream and it is the best thing that has happened to me as a professional.” The rookie will know that his side need more than confidence if they are to stay in the top-flight. His first test is at the Mestalla against Valencia on Saturday, before a must-win match-up with Real Zaragoza at the José Zorrilla the following week. The side’s following five games come against Osasuna, Mallorca, Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid and Deportivo La Coruña, furthering the importance of the match with their relegation rivals.
Both clubs now face similar struggles in differing circumstances. Villarreal must look up as they aim for European football once more, while Valladolid peer down into the murky hallows of the Segunda B as they fight for survival. For both, the remaining 18 league encounters will tell all. Will the inexperience of these new Coaches prove decisive, or will they follow the lead of Pep Guardiola and show that big names and top-flight experience are not always the keys to success?
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