Spain in shock as new Villarreal coach dies
Source: AFP |
June 8, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SPANISH football team Villarreal's newly appointed coach Manuel Preciado died of a heart attack yesterday. He was 54.
Preciado, who only agreed to take charge of the team on Wednesday, had a one-year deal at Villarreal. The team was relegated from the Spanish league last season.
Villarreal President Fernando Roig said the club will try to look after Preciado's family. "We will give support to his family, and we will all try to respect their feelings and help them in this difficult moment," he said.
Preciado is a former player with several clubs including Racing Santander and had also previously coached teams including Racing, Levante, Murcia and Sporting Gijon. The team said Preciado was in Valencia when he was stricken early yesterday.
"We are all shocked," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said from Poland where he is preparing his team for the European Championship. "We were having breakfast and we were all taken aback by the news," he said.
"He was a caring person and a great sportsman. He was a man of football that was an honor to coaching."
Condolences
Preciado's sudden death led to an outpouring of emotional responses. Real Madrid was one of several teams to express its condolences to his family. Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, who suffered his first home defeat in league play in nine seasons last year to Preciado's Sporting and with whom he had a public spat before later reconciling, said that Preciado "was always a dignified rival."
"He had everything I like in people and sportsmen: character, honesty and the courage to fight on," the Portuguese coach wrote in an open letter published on Madrid's website.
Mallorca coach Joaquin Caparros broke into tears on hearing the news. "I was so happy for him joining Villarreal," he said.
Preciado's 232 games for Sporting were second only to Jose Diaz Novoa's 282. Sporting said his name was "written into the history of the club in golden letters."
Preciado, who only agreed to take charge of the team on Wednesday, had a one-year deal at Villarreal. The team was relegated from the Spanish league last season.
Villarreal President Fernando Roig said the club will try to look after Preciado's family. "We will give support to his family, and we will all try to respect their feelings and help them in this difficult moment," he said.
Preciado is a former player with several clubs including Racing Santander and had also previously coached teams including Racing, Levante, Murcia and Sporting Gijon. The team said Preciado was in Valencia when he was stricken early yesterday.
"We are all shocked," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said from Poland where he is preparing his team for the European Championship. "We were having breakfast and we were all taken aback by the news," he said.
"He was a caring person and a great sportsman. He was a man of football that was an honor to coaching."
Condolences
Preciado's sudden death led to an outpouring of emotional responses. Real Madrid was one of several teams to express its condolences to his family. Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, who suffered his first home defeat in league play in nine seasons last year to Preciado's Sporting and with whom he had a public spat before later reconciling, said that Preciado "was always a dignified rival."
"He had everything I like in people and sportsmen: character, honesty and the courage to fight on," the Portuguese coach wrote in an open letter published on Madrid's website.
Mallorca coach Joaquin Caparros broke into tears on hearing the news. "I was so happy for him joining Villarreal," he said.
Preciado's 232 games for Sporting were second only to Jose Diaz Novoa's 282. Sporting said his name was "written into the history of the club in golden letters."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
