Showing posts with label SK Rapid Wien. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SK Rapid Wien. Show all posts

Wednesday, 30 March 2016

Pundit Neville Sacked by Valencia


Gary Neville has been sacked by Valencia after less than four months in charge of the Spanish club.

The 41-year-old, who is part of the England coaching set-up, was given his first managerial job in December.

Valencia won three of their 16 league games under the former television pundit, and 10 of 28 games overall.

Neville said he wanted to stay but results had "not been to my standards" or those "required by this club".

He added that he understood "we are in a results business".

Neville first faced calls to quit after a 7-0 loss to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg in February.

His last match in charge was a 2-0 home defeat by Celta Vigo just before the international break.

He has spent the past six days with the England squad for friendly games with Germany and the Netherlands.

Neville's younger brother Phil is part of the Valencia coaching team, and the club are yet to make an announcement about his position.

Former Liverpool assistant manager Pako Ayestaran, 53, will take charge for the rest of the season.

Pako joined the club as assistant coach in February in a move that Neville insisted was his decision.

"I'm the head coach of Valencia, I will be the head coach of Valencia for the rest of this season. If I leave, Pako will leave. He's come to be part of my coaching staff," Neville said at the time.

"I understand it might look like there's something going on. There absolutely isn't."


Friday, 18 March 2016

Klopp Heads Back to Dortmund


Jurgen Klopp has been handed a return to Borussia Dortmund, with the Reds facing the German side in the Europa League quarter-finals.

Klopp, 48, left Dortmund last summer after leading them to two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League final.

Sevilla, trying to win the competition for the third successive season, face Athletic Bilbao in an all-Spanish tie.

La Liga rivals Villarreal meet Czech side Sparta Prague, while Portugal's Braga face Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine.

Liverpool will travel to Dortmund's Westfalenstadion in the first leg.

Klopp's Liverpool playing the club where he built his reputation is the Europa League tie most neutral fans were hoping to see at some stage. But the German, who replaced Brendan Rodgers in October, said after Thursday's 3-1 aggregate victory against Manchester United that he wanted to avoid them in the last eight.

Thomas Tuchel's side are widely considered as favourites for the competition after beating Tottenham, who are second in the Premier League, 5-1 on aggregate in the last 16.

"Dortmund - why would I want the world's strongest team?" said Klopp, when asked whether he would like to face his former club in the next round.

"But if we go there, we try to win. We have to be prepared and hopefully we are."

The former Mainz manager led Dortmund to the 2011 and 2012 Bundesliga titles, plus the 2013 Champions League final, before asking to be released from his contract.

The quarter-finals will be played on 7 and 14 April.

Europa League quarter-final draw
Braga (Por) v Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) 
Villarreal (Spa) v Sparta Prague (Cze)
Athletic Bilbao (Spa) v Sevilla (Spa)
Borussia Dortmund (Ger) v Liverpool (Eng)