Valencia call time on coach Pizzi
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
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Valencia CF have ended coach Juan Antonio Pizzi's reign after little over six months following the team's failure to qualify for the 2014/15 European club competitions.
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Valencia CF have begun searching for a new coach after announcing that Juan Antonio Pizzi will not be continuing at the helm of the Spanish east-coast outfit.
The 46-year-old Argentinian signed a reported 18-month contract when replacing the outgoing Miroslav Djukić last December, with the Mestalla side sat ninth in the Liga. Despite Pizzi's team seemingly turning a corner with a 3-2 victory at FC Barcelona in early February, Valencia eventually finished eighth in the table to miss out on European qualification for 2014/15.
A club statement read: "Valencia wish coach Pizzi and his technical staff the best of luck in the future. They have been fully committed and professional in carrying out their work here." Pizzi could at least consider himself unfortunate to have lost a UEFA Europa League semi-final on away goals to Sevilla FC, with Valencia conceding in the fourth minute of stoppage time in the second leg of the all-Spanish contest in May.
An ex-Spain forward, Pizzi played for Valencia during the 1993/94 campaign, also representing CD Tenerife, Barcelona, FC Porto and Villarreal CF on the Iberian peninsula.
