Unai Emery - New Valencia Manager

[Pat Murphy]

Unai Emery To Replace Koeman?

Unai Emery has been targetted by Valencia to take over from Ronald Koeman next season as the club plan a complete rebuilding programme for the summer.

Vice-president, Rafael Salom, is working on a project to change the face of Los Ché and will start at the top and work his way down after a disastrous season draws to a close.

While the coach's position is in jeopardy, first to go will be sporting director, Miguel Ángel Ruiz, and a new man brought in to oversee the football area.

Salom's plans could be further advanced if the club can finalise a deal with a new owner as Juan Soler would be willing to sell his majoroty shareholding.

But even if that does not go through before the summer, the board are now in favour of removing Koeman even if he does guide the team to Copa del Rey glory next week.

Emery has enjoyed an outstanding first season in the top flight with Almería as he has guided them into the top half of the table and belied the critics that said they would make an immediate return to la Segunda A.

At just 36, Emery is seen as an up-and-coming coach in the same mould as Rafa Benítez and Quique Sánchez Flores and has already attracted interest from several clubs.

Goal.com

Goal.com - Spain - Unai Emery To Replace Koeman?

Unai Emery has done a great job with Almeria. They're currently 9th with a pretty crap squad, probably the thinnest in La Liga. He also did a good job in promoting them and he's only 36 years old so I think Valencia should go for him or the awesome Racing coach Marcelino in the summer.

It's also important that the president Soler leaves as he's a moron and Ruiz's signings as Sporting Director have been lame (Banega + Fernandes for £28m or 44m euros).

[Oliver_Kahn]

Banega hasn't been that bad Patsy, he started really well but now has cooled down, much like Pepe at Real.

I do think however, that Valencia have made some pretty shit signings this season. Fernandes, Maduro and Zigic for instance, and let go Albelda.

I doubt Soler is going to quit, even if they don't win the Copa del Rey, and if Soler stays, Ruiz stays as well.

[Pat Murphy]

The price on Banega is what got me. £15m for an unproven teenager was terrible dealing in my opinion, no matter how good he turns out to be. But then again I complained when Barca got Deco and Eto'o for those prices

Zigic also for £10m and Fernandes for £12m, even buying Maduro at all was funny. Helguera was ok for free but he's done more damage than help. Valencia actually hope that Koeman doesn't pick him each week. One decent signing for the price was £4m for Alexis in buying out his clause and that was a Quique signing.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Originally Posted by Pat Murphy

The price on Banega is what got me. £15m for an unproven teenager was terrible dealing in my opinion, no matter how good he turns out to be. But then again I complained when Barca got Deco and Eto'o for those prices

Well would you rather spend 15m on a 19 year or on a 29 year old ?
Even if Banega doesn't do well at first, you can loan him out for a season, so he matures a bit, then returns a better player (happens in most cases).

Originally Posted by Pat Murphy

Zigic also for £10m and Fernandes for £12m, even buying Maduro at all was funny. Helguera was ok for free but he's done more damage than help. Valencia actually hope that Koeman doesn't pick him each week. One decent signing for the price was £4m for Alexis in buying out his clause and that was a Quique signing.

Maduro was good a few years ago, then his progression stopped and he got even more fat than Miguel. I don't think Valencia needed DM's either, with Baraja and Banega already there.. Whatever happened to Sunny btw? He looked good whenever he played.

Helguera is a liability, I wouldn't take him even if I got paid for it. When he came on vs Madrid, it was quite clear how shaky Valencia's defence became, if it wasn't for Timo, they would have been battered.

Alexis hasn't played much has he ? I know he was injured a while back, but I think I read that he came back last month, though I could be wrong.

[Pat Murphy]

Also now Luis Aragones has been linked to the Valencia job. He's leaving Spain after Euro 2008 and he's on the Valencia shortlist. Most fans are against this move quite strongly.

Personally I think either Valencia or Sevilla have to go for Marcelino. Young coach who kept Recre up in La Liga for the first ever time and even managed to finish 8th. Now he's got Racing Santander up to 5th place in La Liga which is an excellent achievment considering the budget and players he's had to work with.

[Pat Murphy]

Koeman's Days Are Numbered

Reports in the Spanish press suggest that the Valencia board have finally lost patience with coach Ronald Koeman and will relieve him of his duties when the side next lose a league game.

Valencia have endured a terrible run of form since Koeman took over from Quique Sanchez Flores earlier in the season, achieving four wins, six draws and a shocking eleven defeats since he took charge.

A report in Marca suggests that club directors decided weeks ago that Koeman was not the man to take the club forward, but decided to keep him at the helm so as not to upset their preparations for Wednesday's Copa del Rey final with Getafe.

During the intervening period, the results have got even worse, and with the club now sitting just five points above the bottom three with six games left to play, Koeman will be dismissed when the club next lose a league game, regardless of whether they win the cup.

Óscar Fernandez will take temporary charge should Koeman lose his job before the end of the season, with the club considering their options for next season as they look to regain the success that they had during Rafael Benitez's time at the Mestalla.

With Koeman a dead man walking, the emphasis will be on the players to drag Valencia out of their currently precarious position, with experienced midfielder Ruben Baraja noting before the weekend defeat to Racing that cup success should be seen as "a gesture of pardon to the supporters, more than something to be celebrated."

Goal.com

Goal.com - Valencia - Koeman's Days Are Numbered

[Oliver_Kahn]

super deporte says Marcelino [Racing Santander] will coach Valencia next season.
Superdeporte - Valencia - Marcelino entrenará al Valencia la próxima campaña

Patsy, what do you think ?

[Trim]

Now that Koeman has won the cup, I think they might extend his stay for at least another year.

[Pat Murphy]

I think Marcelino would be the perfect appointment for Valencia. He clearly has the talent and a little extra La Liga experience than Unai Emery. He apparently has the choice to move to Sevilla or Valencia tho so it's anyone's guess who he'll choose as they will both probably have UEFA Cup next season and their star player leaving for 30m euros. If it was me personally then I'd choose Valencia although Marcelino chose Racing over Betis because "Betis had too many players in their squad", supposedly also a metaphor for their board is a corrupt joke so considering and the state of the Valencia board he may choose Sevilla.

The Copa doesn't have as much prestige and respect as the FA Cup would in England, sort of in between the English FA Cup and the League Cup in terms of respect. I think a Copa win doesn't excuse Koeman for finishing them at the bottom of their CL group and dropping them from 4th place to 16th place in La Liga. Quique got fired for a bit of behind the scenes arguing and them not starting so great, despite them not starting great tho they were still 4th. Koeman has put the team into a slump himself and has proven he can't get them out of it, I think he is in way over his head and deserves to be fired.

I think the axe will fall once he's lost 2 more games.

[Pat Murphy]

Could Eriksson Ditch City For Valencia?

A sensational report in The Sun claims that Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson could tell owner Thaksin Shinawatra to stick his job before jumping ship to under-achieving Valencia.

Soundbytes from Thai billionaire Shinawatra in the last week have hinted that Eriksson's job at Eastlands is far from safe after a disappointing second half of the season.

City are currently eighth in the league, with Sven having matched the club's previous best Premiership points tally with four games to spare, but the owner is still far from happy that the club are unlikely to finish in the top five or six.

Ill-Timed Comments

Eriksson was upset at the timing of Shinawatra's comments, which he felt should have waited until the end of the campaign, and may now feel is position at the club has been undermined. “It would have been better not saying that at this moment," commented the Swede.

“Only recently I heard Dr Thaksin say that a top 10 finish this season was the goal. Well, we are well on track for that. I admit the second half of the season has not been as good as the first," continued Eriksson of the current run of just three wins in 13 league games. "Maybe we did too well at the start!”

Valencia Interest

Eriksson still has two years on his contract at the City of Manchester Stadium but The Sun are claiming that Spanish side Valencia have been taking a keen interest in the recent ongoings up at Eastlands. The squad are in disarray after a terrible La Liga season, and even Wednesday's Copa Del Rey triumph has done little to ease concerns or the pressure on current boss Ronald Koeman, who has had little success in winning over the players.

The report claims that Los Che are prepared to trump the wages Eriksson receives from the Citizens to secure his passage to Spain. The sale of the club's current Mestalla stadium would free up a massive amount of transfer money for the Swede to spend.

Goal.com

Goal.com - Manchester City - Could Eriksson Ditch City For Valencia?


Pick Marcelino Valencia.

[Pat Murphy]

Marcelino Receives Valencia Offer

Marcelino has told Racing Santander that he received an offer from Valencia to take over as head coach at Mestalla in the summer, according to a report.

After revealing that he had been in contact with Los Ché this week, the trainer has now admitted that he has been asked to consider taking the reins at the troubled club in the summer.

On Tuesday, Marcelino requested a meeting with the board at El Sardinero and explained that nothing had been agreed and that it did also depend on whether Valencia stay up.

Since the dismissal of Ronald Koeman and his backroom staff in the early hours of Tuesday morning rumours have been rife about who would be approached to take over.

While Marcelino and Almería's Unai Emery are more in keeping with Valencia's traditional targets, some rumours suggested a return to the club for Rafa Benítez or even a first taste of Spanish football for Sven-Gorän Eriksson.

It now appears that los Ché are reverting to the successful formula of picking up-and-coming young Spanish coaches in the mould of Benítez and Quique Sánchez Flores.

Marcelino has enjoyed a highly successful season and could yet see Racing Santander sensationally qualify for the Champions League, but he has told the board that he want to improve professionally.

In a bid to keep their man, Racing have offered the former Recre boss a new deal that would also give him total control over all sporting decisions at the club.

But Marcelino is concerned that expectations at such a modest outfit could be too high and that the Cantabrians may be forced to sell some of their stars and make hin unable to come anywhere near to reproducing the same form.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Goal.com - Transfer Zone - Marcelino Receives Valencia Offer


Marcelino admitted in a press conference that a month ago Valencia were in contact for him to be their new manager and now there has been a solid offer. It will all depend on whether they stay up or not, if they do then Marcelino will probably be their new coach, if not then Marcelino will probably go to Sevilla and Valencia are stuffed.

[Pat Murphy]

El Valencia ata a Unai Emery | SPORT | Fútbol

Unai Emery will apparently be the new Valencia boss next season. They wanted Marcelino but he wanted to be able to keep some of the big stars that are rumoured to leave and they contacted Manzano but Mallorca demanded 2m euros compensation so they look like they've settled on Unai Emery.

Unai Emery had offers from Betis, Zaragoza, an enquiry from Atletico Madrid and a new offer from Almeria but it looks like he'll choose Valencia.

[Pat Murphy]

Emery To Become Valencia Coach

Unai Emery has agreed to become the new coach of Valencia after being given the guarantees of stability that he sought and will be presented at a press conference in the next few days.

The Almería trainer will make the move after meeting with high level officials from los Ché to ensure that there would be no major changes at the club this summer.

Valencia have been seeking a new coach since Ronald Koeman was sacked in April and Voro took over on a temporary basis until the end of the season and Almeria have wished him the best.

Emery's impressive campaign in charge of Almería, after winning promotion with them last term, has seen him win many admirers in both Spain and abroad and the club president, Alfonso García, respected his decision.

"We wish the best to Unai," he said. "He was very comfortable here, but he was attracted by the size and history of Valencia and we know it is a great opportunity for him."

After a season of turmoil at Mestalla, the 36-year-old coach asked to hold talks with former president Juan Soler, current president Agustín Morera, director of communications, Jesús Wolstein and sporting director Juan Sánchez.

The lengthy meeting was concluded after Emery was assured that only one major player from the squad may have to be sold rather than the mass clear-out the media had predicted.

All those present assured the trainer that there would be no repeat of the behind the scenes turmoil and that the club were going to maintain a competitive squad.

Valencia's financial problems had led to speculation that such star names as David Villa and David Silva would have to be sold off in order to balance the books.

Emery's appointment is in line with Valencia's recent tradition of attracting up-and-coming young Spanish coaches as he follows in the footsteps of Rafa Benítez and Quique Sánchez Flores.

After informing Almería president of his decision late on Wednesday evening, Emery will hold his final training session on Thursday and say goodbye to the players at the club.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Goal.com - Valencia - Emery To Become Valencia Coach


Unai Emery is a good option. He's a real hard worker, he makes players stay behind to practice every little detail until they've got it right and it paid off this season with Almeria.

[Robinho4Ever]

Emery is another young coach who succeeded this season with his team. Almeria finished impressively in the 9th place this season.

He's only 36, and Valencia FC is only his 3rd club in his career, so what Valencia did is a gamble, but it can turn to be a good one..

Things will be very hot in the summer at Valencia. It will be nice to watch their progress!!