Primera Liga strugglers Valencia have installed Salvador Gonzalez Marco 'Voro' as their new head coach after parting company with Ronald Koeman following a board meeting on Monday evening.
Voro, who is a former Valencia player and the current club delegate, takes over a side that slipped to just two points above the relegation zone on Sunday following their 5-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao.
Valencia confirmed the appointment in a statement on their website, which read: "After the meeting of the Valencia board, Salvador Gonzalez Marco 'Voro' has become the new Valencia coach.
"Until this time, 'Voro' occupied the place of delegate of the first team squad, a position he began in 2005.
"As such, 'Voro', who defended the Valencia shirt from the 85/86 season until the 92/93 season, replaces Ronald Koeman on the bench of the Mestalla club."
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That loss against Athletic was Valencia's fourth successive league defeat and left the team 15th in the standings and worryingly close to third-bottom Recreativo Huelva with five games remaining.
Those five matches are against Osasuna, Barcelona, Real Zaragoza, Levante and Atletico Madrid.
Los Che have not finished outside the top 10 in the Primera Liga since the 1987/88 season, which was their first back in the top flight after winning the second division title the previous season.
The decision to part company with Koeman comes less than a week after he guided Valencia to the Copa del Rey title, with last Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Getafe earning Los Che their first piece of major silverware since winning the Primera Liga in 2004.
However, the Dutchman paid the penalty for his side's poor league form, with Valencia having won four and lost 12 of the 22 Primera Liga matches since Koeman took over in November.
Valencia said that Koeman had reached an amicable agreement with the club over the termination of his contract.
Koeman was quoted as saying on the Valencia website: "I am going away proud of having obtained a very important title like the Copa del Rey and would like to stress, as they say in my country, that during my time in Valencia I have gained an experience but lost a dream."
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Koeman, 45, took charge of Valencia last November after leaving PSV Eindhoven, who he had led to the Dutch title during the 2006/07 season.
The former Barcelona and Holland defender was brought in as the permanent replacement for the sacked Quique Sanchez Flores, who left Valencia in fourth spot in La Liga, four points behind pacesetters Real Madrid.
Valencia were also third in their Champions League pool behind Rosenborg and Chelsea at the midway point of the group stages when Sanchez Flores was shown the door.
Reserve team coach Oscar Fernandez took charge of two matches before Koeman officially took over, with Valencia losing 5-1 at home to Real Madrid in Fernandez's first match and then beating Mallorca 2-0 in his second.
Koeman's first game in the hotseat proved a huge disappointment as Valencia crashed to a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Rosenborg and they then tumbled out of Europe after finishing bottom of the group.
A 3-0 win over Real Murcia in his maiden league match promised better things to come, but Valencia have struggled badly since and been sucked into the relegation dogfight.
One bright spot during Koeman's tenure though was Valencia's success in the Copa del Rey, where they won seven of their nine games and knocked out the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid en route to last week`s win over Getafe.
Valencia's problems have not been restricted to just their results though, with Koeman courting controversy just before Christmas after telling experienced trio David Albelda, Santiago Canizares and Miguel Angel Angulo they were not in his plans.
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Koeman was not the only person to leave Valencia on Monday night, with sporting director Miguel Angel Ruiz and technical secretary Antonio Fernandez also agreeing to mutual terminations of their contracts.
Koeman's assistant coaches are in the process of negotiating their departures. Toni Bruins Slot, through his representative, has agreed to end his contract with the Primera Liga club, while the club are meeting with Jose Mari Bakero on Tuesday hoping for a similar outcome.
In their places, Jose Manuel Ochotorena and Miguel Villagrasa have formed part of the first-team technical team, while Juan Sanchez is the new technical secretary and Jesus Paniagua takes over Voro's old role as club delegate.
Although not specifically mentioned, it was suggested that Voro will be able to recall outcast trio Albelda, Canizares and Angulo if so desired.
In a statement to the media, Valencia spokesman Tarsilo Piles said: "Salvador Gonzalez 'Voro' has been named as coach of the club with total freedom to do what he thinks he has to do the take the club forward in these last five games with the 25 players of the first-team squad.
"We believe that Voro knows the dressing room and is capable of getting Valencia out of this situation."
On the club's decision to promote from within, Piles added: "The objective was to look for people of the club, who feel the colours, will get involved and who are willing to fight in these last five games to help Valencia obtain good results."
Valencia confirmed the appointment in a statement on their website, which read: "After the meeting of the Valencia board, Salvador Gonzalez Marco 'Voro' has become the new Valencia coach.
"Until this time, 'Voro' occupied the place of delegate of the first team squad, a position he began in 2005.
"As such, 'Voro', who defended the Valencia shirt from the 85/86 season until the 92/93 season, replaces Ronald Koeman on the bench of the Mestalla club."
mfl
That loss against Athletic was Valencia's fourth successive league defeat and left the team 15th in the standings and worryingly close to third-bottom Recreativo Huelva with five games remaining.
Those five matches are against Osasuna, Barcelona, Real Zaragoza, Levante and Atletico Madrid.
Los Che have not finished outside the top 10 in the Primera Liga since the 1987/88 season, which was their first back in the top flight after winning the second division title the previous season.
The decision to part company with Koeman comes less than a week after he guided Valencia to the Copa del Rey title, with last Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Getafe earning Los Che their first piece of major silverware since winning the Primera Liga in 2004.
However, the Dutchman paid the penalty for his side's poor league form, with Valencia having won four and lost 12 of the 22 Primera Liga matches since Koeman took over in November.
Valencia said that Koeman had reached an amicable agreement with the club over the termination of his contract.
Koeman was quoted as saying on the Valencia website: "I am going away proud of having obtained a very important title like the Copa del Rey and would like to stress, as they say in my country, that during my time in Valencia I have gained an experience but lost a dream."
mfl
Koeman, 45, took charge of Valencia last November after leaving PSV Eindhoven, who he had led to the Dutch title during the 2006/07 season.
The former Barcelona and Holland defender was brought in as the permanent replacement for the sacked Quique Sanchez Flores, who left Valencia in fourth spot in La Liga, four points behind pacesetters Real Madrid.
Valencia were also third in their Champions League pool behind Rosenborg and Chelsea at the midway point of the group stages when Sanchez Flores was shown the door.
Reserve team coach Oscar Fernandez took charge of two matches before Koeman officially took over, with Valencia losing 5-1 at home to Real Madrid in Fernandez's first match and then beating Mallorca 2-0 in his second.
Koeman's first game in the hotseat proved a huge disappointment as Valencia crashed to a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Rosenborg and they then tumbled out of Europe after finishing bottom of the group.
A 3-0 win over Real Murcia in his maiden league match promised better things to come, but Valencia have struggled badly since and been sucked into the relegation dogfight.
One bright spot during Koeman's tenure though was Valencia's success in the Copa del Rey, where they won seven of their nine games and knocked out the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid en route to last week`s win over Getafe.
Valencia's problems have not been restricted to just their results though, with Koeman courting controversy just before Christmas after telling experienced trio David Albelda, Santiago Canizares and Miguel Angel Angulo they were not in his plans.
mfl
Koeman was not the only person to leave Valencia on Monday night, with sporting director Miguel Angel Ruiz and technical secretary Antonio Fernandez also agreeing to mutual terminations of their contracts.
Koeman's assistant coaches are in the process of negotiating their departures. Toni Bruins Slot, through his representative, has agreed to end his contract with the Primera Liga club, while the club are meeting with Jose Mari Bakero on Tuesday hoping for a similar outcome.
In their places, Jose Manuel Ochotorena and Miguel Villagrasa have formed part of the first-team technical team, while Juan Sanchez is the new technical secretary and Jesus Paniagua takes over Voro's old role as club delegate.
Although not specifically mentioned, it was suggested that Voro will be able to recall outcast trio Albelda, Canizares and Angulo if so desired.
In a statement to the media, Valencia spokesman Tarsilo Piles said: "Salvador Gonzalez 'Voro' has been named as coach of the club with total freedom to do what he thinks he has to do the take the club forward in these last five games with the 25 players of the first-team squad.
"We believe that Voro knows the dressing room and is capable of getting Valencia out of this situation."
On the club's decision to promote from within, Piles added: "The objective was to look for people of the club, who feel the colours, will get involved and who are willing to fight in these last five games to help Valencia obtain good results."
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