Valencia sack coach Sanchez Flores
MADRID, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Valencia sacked coach Quique Sanchez
Flores in the early hours of Monday morning following the side's
3-0 defeat at Sevilla.
Despite the defeat, Valancia remain fourth in the Primera Liga,
only four points adrift of leaders Real Madrid.
The club said on their website that reserve team boss Oscar
Fernandez would take charge of the team on a caretaker basis.
Earlier in the week the team slipped to a surprise 2-0 defeat away
to Rosenborg in the Champions League and are in third place in
Group B, four points behind leaders Chelsea.
Valencia said club president Juan Soler would explain the decision
to the players at training and that he and Sanchez Flores would
give separate news conferences later on Monday.
Sanchez Flores, a former Real Madrid and Valencia defender who was
also capped for Spain, took charge of Valencia at the start of the
2005-06 season following a successful spell in charge of modest
Primera Liga side Getafe.
He steered Valencia to a third-place finish in the league in his
first season in charge and fourth place last term, despite a string
of injuries to leading players.
Valencia were the most successful Spanish team in last season's
Champions League, reaching the quarter-finals where they lost
narrowly to Chelsea after a last-minute strike from midfielder
Michael Essien.
The son of former Real Madrid player Isidro Sanchez who married
into the Flores flamenco dynasty, Sanchez Flores is renowned for
his self confidence and occasional outspoken comments.
Despite the team's successes on the pitch the 42-year-old never
appeared completely settled at a club which has designs on breaking
the Real Madrid and Barcelona stranglehold on the Primera Liga
honours.
Their notoriously fickle fans frequently criticised Sanchez Flores
for an overly conservative style of play.
He also fell out with sporting director Amedeo Carboni over the
club's transfer policy, which led to the Italian's departure from
the Mestalla last season.