Football
ESPN staff 7y

Cesare Prandelli resigns as manager of Valencia

Cesare Prandelli has resigned as manager of Valencia after less than three months in the job, the Spanish club confirmed on Friday.

Prandelli replaced Pako Ayestaran in September, but the former Italy boss was in charge for just eight La Liga games and won only his first.

Although he oversaw a Copa del Rey triumph over Leganes earlier this month, he had lost four of his last seven league games.

Spanish radio station Cadena SER reported earlier on Friday that he was negotiating the termination of his contract, which had been due to run until June 2018.

After the most recent league defeat, at Real Sociedad on Dec. 10, Prandelli reportedly flew to Singapore to meet owner Peter Lim with the team only above the relegation zone on goal difference.

Los Che's ninth loss of the season sparked outrage from their supporters, who blocked the team bus from entering the training ground when they returned.

Prandelli was the seventh manager to take charge of Valencia since Lim took over in May 2014, and the ninth full-time boss since Unai Emery's four-year stint ended in 2012.

Juan Antonio Pizzi was let go that summer before Nuno Santo spent a little over a year in charge.

Voro Gonzalez took over as caretaker boss until Gary Neville came aboard in December 2015, only to be sacked four months later.

Neville's assistant Pako Ayestaran took over but was sacked in September, after which Voro had a second brief spell as interim boss.

Voro will now take charge of Valencia first-team affairs for a third time.

A club statement released read: "Cesare Prandelli has communicated to Valencia his irrevocable decision to resign from his position as coach, as of Friday, Dec. 30.

"Voro Gonzalez will take over in charge of the first-team squad. Valencia director Anil Murthy and sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch will hold a press conference at the Ciudad Deportiva on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 10 a.m."

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