Valencia sack Pellegrino

Valencia have sacked Coach Mauricio Pellegrino just 21 games into his tenure, after a 5-2 defeat to Real Sociedad on Saturday evening.

Los Che’s reverse at home to La Real was their second consecutive League defeat, it saw them leapfrogged by their opponents in the table, as they slipped temporarily back into the bottom half.

After the result, Pellegrino rejected the notion that he would be sacked, but news soon followed that President Manuel Llorente had dispensed with the former centre-back’s services.

“After the game, we exchanged views, debated, and we have taken the decision to dismiss Coach Mauricio Pellegrino,” Llorente told the assembled Press at Mestalla on Saturday evening.

“We have communicated this to him. It was a decision, as you can all imagine, that was painful, but we think that within the scope of our responsibility that we have to take such decisions.

“In all the time that I have been with Valencia this is the first occasion that we have sacked a Coach. I feel responsible, I’m the President.

“We thought the team would react [to last week’s 4-0 defeat at Malaga] and that was the wish of all, and mine first. We were not expecting today to go as it did.

“After analysis of the encounter and the work that has been done since the start of the season, this is what has to be done.

“It is not only for Mauricio Pellegrino, for me, for my responsibility, for the players, I think everyone is responsible. And we have to make these decisions.

“We do not take decisions in the heat of the moment, we have seen the evolution of the team and this is the result of our path taken. The intention we have is to qualify the team for the Champions League, it is our responsibility to take decisions to straighten our direction for our future.”

Sporting director Braulio Vazquez was also present at the news conference and confirmed that the club currently do not have a replacement Coach in mind.

Valencia currently sit four points adrift of the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot. Pellegrino took over at Mestalla in the summer, after Unai Emery’s stint – that included three consecutive third place finishes – was brought to a close at the end of last season.

Tags Manuel Llorente Pellegrino
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