So Long QQ

By: Cesar | October 29th, 2007

And so it ends.

The 3-0 defeat at the hands of coachless Sevilla was the final nail in the coffin for oft-embattled Valencia gaffer Quique (QQ) Sanchez Flores, who was sacked after the game.

The Flores era ends on a sour note. But as I’ve said before, we all saw this coming.

He was a good coach at times, a hard-headed man who clashed with players and management (look up his feud with former sporting director Amadeo Carboni) and a tireless egomaniac.

As much as I’ve called for his head, it’s always sad to see someone let go. I feel bad for the players, the management and the man who I’ve railed so often. There’s no need to spit on a man while he’s down and while I doubt QQ’s eyes will ever gaze at my rantings, I’ll let the guy be with a simple ‘Buena suerte’ (good luck). He did his best. Unfortunately, it wasn’t good enough.

Truth be told, I doubt any coach could do that well with the defense as currently constructed. After watching the game yesterday, I’m at a loss for words. I could rant for hours and hours about the humiliating display against Sevilla last night, but what’s the point? QQ is gone and his era is now a distant memory. Caretaker coach Oscar Fernandez of the reserve team will take charge until a new coach can be found. Good luck. The next game’s against Real Madrid and 6 players are injured: Manuel Fernandes, David Villa, David Silva, Carlos Marchena, Santiago Cañizares and Rubén Baraja. Have fun, Señor Fernandez!

“It wasn’t an easy decision that was taken just because of one bad result,” club president Juan Soler told a news conference on Monday.
“It was a carefully thought-out decision taken after an intensive analysis by the technical staff so that we can achieve our aim of becoming one of the top teams in Europe.”

Sanchez Flores is the third coach to have been sacked by the club since Soler took over as president three years ago with predecessors Antonio Lopez and Claudio Ranieri also failing to meet his expectations.

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho (PLEASE!), Italy’s World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi and Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari are all reported to be in the frame for the permanent post.

“I hope that what has happened ends up being positive for Valencia,” Sanchez Flores told a news conference.
“I leave the club with some degree of pain but also with some relief. They have been difficult and often lonely years.
“I may have lost my job but I feel that I have recovered my life which, for me, is the most important thing.
“I hope Valencia achieve the objectives they have set for themselves, but I leave the club in the knowledge that the team is in a better position than when I arrived.”

A former Real Madrid and Valencia defender who was also capped for Spain, he 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 honors.

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.

So ends the QQ era. What will I blog about now?

But truth be told, here’s a chance for management to do something different. I’m intrigued by the possibilities and hope the technical staff doesn’t go the conservative route. There are plusses and minuses for every one of the people Valencia are looking at to take over (Mourinho, Scolari, Del Bosque, Lippi, Capello). It’s hoped that the board will take their time, compose a sensible strategy and get their man.

Who would you all like to see in charge?

In my mind, it’s a no-brainer: Jose Mourinho has to be our new coach.