‘Txingurri’ Valverde, the sixth one in falling down
Sometimes in the soccer things difficult to understand happen. For example, that Ernesto Valverde, a technician whose credentials are based on his bet by an attractive soccer, has not curdled in the Villarreal, the Spanish team that better has played football during the last years — with the exception of the Barcelona—. Twenty days him the credit has lasted: this Sunday it was dismissed after Osasuna was conquering 0-2 in The Madrigal. The yellow club is not characterized by his impatience, but disputed half of the Championship the Villarreal is tenth in the classification, practically in nothing of the League, and in the Cup of the King, the Celt left him in the thrust in the eighth ones, after conquering 0-1 in grounds castellonenses. Results not pleasing at all. In the Europe League, of course, it is in the sixteenth ones, where one will measure the German Wolfsburg.
Valverde came to the Villarreal as spare of Manuel Pellegrini. Difficult task. The Chilean trainer has left big periods in the region of the Low Page, with milestones like the semifinal of the Champions League before the Arsenal in the campaign 2005-06, with that unfortunate penalty that Lehman detained Riquelme, or the subchampionship garter belt in the course 2007-08, when it extracted ten points to the Barca, third classified. For everything, the Valverde mission was going accompanied by a brutal demand, although it had been sufficient to obtain good results in the League to be supported in the position.
The beginning of campaign was disastrous for the Villarreal, which did not know the victory up to the eighth day (2-1 to the Malaga). For way, the defeats were staying in Bilbao (3-2), Corunna (1-0) and Sherry (2-1) and at home before Real Madrid (0-2), and the ties in Pamplona (1-1) and in The Madrigal before Majorca (1-1) and Spanish (0-0). Also, bad starter in Europe, with two defeats in three parties (before Salzburg and Lazio). And in Cup, difficulties to overcome the Puertollano. Some results allowed him to let off steam, like 5-0 to the Tenerife and 4-1 to the Lazio, two consecutive heavy defeats. But the aberration and, especially, the pricks before teams as Sporting, Almeria and, yesterday, Osasuna have led to the board to taking the decision to cancel the contract of the ‘Txingurri’.
The sports successes led Valverde to sitting down in one of the most attractive stools of the First Division. With the Athletic of Bilbao, his first club like trainer, obtained the classification for the Cup of the UEFA and reached a few semifinals of the Cup of the King. Precisely it was in the said European competition where it obtained his biggest prowess: to take the Spanish until the final in 2007, where it lost in the penalties after joining 2-2 with the Seville of Juande Ramos. The past course directed the Greek Olympiacos, with which he was proclaimed a champion of Alpha Ethniki, the Super League of Greece. Everything led to thinking that the ant was a suitable technician for the aspirations of the Villarreal, but the time nicked this opportunity from him and, now, only he can only wait for the call of some team, which, insurance, will not be late in coming. The presentation of Juan Carlos Garrido, new yellow trainer, stays for my partner Jaime Iglesias.
Photo | The Ideal of Granada
