Koeman sacked

[Guest Anders Honoré]

MADRID, April 21 (Reuters) - Former Dutch international Ronald Koeman has been dismissed as coach of relegation-threatened Valencia and replaced by Salvador Gonzalez 'Voro', the Primera Liga club said on Monday.

 

Valencia's 5-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday left the team two points above the drop zone.

 

Koeman signed a two-and-a-half year contract at the beginning of November following the sacking of Quique Sanchez Flores. Valencia were then fourth in the table, four points behind leaders Real Madrid.

 

Valencia said on their Web site (www.valenciacf.es) that a meeting at the club on Monday had sealed the departure of Koeman and his assistants Jose Mari Bakero, Toni Bruins Slot and sporting director Miguel Angel Ruiz.

 

Voro, a former player at Valencia and Deportivo Coruna, would take charge of the team to the end of the season.

 

"Ronald Koeman has had his contract rescinded by mutual agreement," the club said.

 

"Voro has been appointed coach with total freedom to do what he thinks needs to be done to take the club forward in these last five matches with the 25 first team players," it added.

 

Koeman has appeared an increasingly isolated figure at Valencia in recent weeks but guided his side to a 3-1 victory over Getafe in the King's Cup final last Wednesday.

 

He dropped several of the club's most influential players soon after taking charge.

 

With the support of majority shareholder Juan Soler, Koeman sidelined captain David Albelda, goalkeeper Santiago Canizares and winger Miguel Angel Angulo, making clear none of them would play in the first team again this season.

 

But the team went into freefall, winning four and drawing six of the 22 games while the Dutchman was in charge. (Reporting by Simon Baskett; Editing by Alan Baldwin and John O'Brien)

 

Reuters

[Guest Anders Honoré]

If they go down we could do worse than having a look at Miguel.

[Bailo]

For a moment there, I thought we'd got rid of Voronin.

[Guest Sabre]

Why did he drop those first teamers?

[Guest Anders Honoré]

Why did he drop those first teamers?

 

Something about identifying them as exerting undue influence on the team.

[Benitez]

crazy what's happened to Valencia.

 

They really really shouldn't have messed Rafa around like they did!

[Old red eyes]

WTF, just above the relegation zone. Not many games to go and it probably cost them a wad of money. I bet it's down to player power, ungrateful overpaid pricks!!!!

[Diarmuid]

Why did he drop those first teamers?

That Soler bloke told him to drop em.

[Hassony]

crazy what's happened to Valencia.

 

They really really shouldn't have messed Rafa around like they did!

 

this should be a lesson to anyone who thinks we will be better off without rafa

[Alonso]

Will they get a UEFA Cup spot as they won the Spanish Cup?

[Benitez]

Will they get a UEFA Cup spot as they won the Spanish Cup?

 

 

yep

[Sion]

Koeman was good at PSV, what the hell happened? Couldn't take the step up? Bit of an Allardyce.

[Hassony]

Koeman was good at PSV, what the hell happened? Couldn't take the step up? Bit of an Allardyce.

 

Managing PSV is not that difficult to be fair, its like managing Rangers or Celtic

[Sion]

Managing PSV is not that difficult to be fair, its like managing Rangers or Celtic

 

to be fair knocking Arsenal out the CL is pretty good.

[Hassony]

to be fair knocking Arsenal out the CL is pretty good.

its funny that you said arsenal but failed to mention that he knocked us as well a year earlier

[Cam]

Something about identifying them as exerting undue influence on the team.

Like being quite good and making them play better?

[MFletcher]

The President, Juan Soler, basically told him to drop them as they were a 'bad influence'.

 

So he dropped them. The fans were outraged (Albelda is their version of Gerrard) and the other players were disillusioned.

 

I'm surprised it's taken them this long to sack him actually. The writing has been on the wall for a couple of months now.

[growler]

I thought it was benfica that knocked us out?

[Leo No.8]

The lesson to be learnt here - don't sack the manager when you're 4 points behind the leaders in 4th place...

[surf]

its funny that you said arsenal but failed to mention that he knocked us as well a year earlier

 

we knocked ourselves out by being absolutely shyte for a good 2 months. couldn't buy a goal

[Hassony]

I thought it was benfica that knocked us out?

 

who was their manager?

[Sion]

its funny that you said arsenal but failed to mention that he knocked us as well a year earlier

 

That wasn't an achievement. We were balls.

[Walrus]

we knocked ourselves out by being absolutely shyte for a good 2 months. couldn't buy a goal