Real Betis reportedly approached Malaga’s Javi Gracia about taking over next season and got a positive response, only to delay and miss out.
Estadio Deportivo reports a meeting between Betis President Angel Haro, director Jose Miguel Lopez Catalan and Gracia earlier in the season, at a time Gracia was strongly leaning towards quitting La Rosaleda in the summer and Juan Merino’s interim charge of Betis was due to end at the conclusion of the campaign.
But a 2-0 win for Betis over Granada on March 6, the team’s sixth straight victory, caused the decision-makers to reconsider Merino, and, frustrated with the inaction of Betis, Gracia asked his representatives to accelerate negotiations with Malaga, signing a new contract in mid-March.
