Marcelino named Valencia coach for next two seasons

Spanish football club Valencia CF has confirmed that Marcelino Garcia Toral will be their first team coach for the next two seasons.

The club confirmed the news on their official website on Thursday with two matches remaining in the current season, adding that Marcelino's presentation will take place "after the final game of the current season", reports Xhinua news agency.

Marcelino was sacked by Villarreal before the start of the 2016-17 season but his sacking came too late to be allowed to coach in Spain this campaign.

Last year saw him take Villarreal to a fourth place finish in the La Liga. But the club was unhappy at the way he appeared to deliberately lose the last game of the campaign away to Sporting Gijon, his hometown club, who he had both played for and coached, allowing them to avoid relegation at the expense of Rayo Vallecano. And he was sacked shortly before Villarreal's Champions League qualifying tie against Monaco.

As well as Sporting and Villarreal, Marcelino has also coached Sevilla, Racing Santander and Zaragoza with varying degrees of success.

He will replace Voro Gonzalez, who commented a week ago he would not continue as Valencia coach to return to a post within the club infrastructure, and becomes the 10th coach at the club since Unai Emery left in the summer of 2012.

--IANS

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