Laudrup still without a seat in managerial musical chairs
Thursday 29 May 2008 19:00
So, Racing de Santander coach Marcelino's not going to Sevilla after all. He's mental and is instead going to relegated Zaragoza, thus turning down the chance to lead Racing into their first ever European campaign.
That leaves a job available at Racing. The increasingly desperate, whoring-himself-to-everyone Michael Laudrup might be interested in it after he didn't get the Benfica job because it went to former Valencia coach Quique Sanchez Flores, even though Quique looked like he might be going back to Getafe; the job Laudrup just gave up.
And Laudrup thought he was going to Benfica. But then he's also on the list for Chelsea after the chance to go to Sevilla was taken away from him when they decided to stick with coach Manolo Jiménez, who everyone assumed was leaving, instantly removing one possible destination for Unai Emery, Marcelino, and Quique.
Except that Unai Emery went to Quique's old club Valencia leaving the Almería job available, which is probably going to be filled by newly-promoted Numancia coach Gonzalo Arconada, which Numancia aren't very happy about and which also means they're now looking for a coach themsleves - something Real Betis may or may not be doing as a queue forms there just in case Paco Chaparro gets the heave-ho.
Laudrup finally finds a chair, but everyone else has gone home
And anyway, in front of Laudrup at Chelsea is former Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard - and pretty much every other coach in the world. This should have handed Laudrup the chance to go to Barcelona - and he really thought he would get it, too - only they gave the job to B team boss Pep Guardiola three weeks ago, even though he only signed the contract yesterday.
The other man supposedly being looked at by Barcelona was Espanyol manager Ernesto Valverde but he's now going to Oliympiakos, who were also talking to Laudrup and to Quique, where he'll follow the Greek footsteps of Lorenzo Serra Ferrer and Víctor Muñoz, both of whom would quite like to come back to Spain.
Valverde's job at Espanyol is up for grabs and, guess what, Laudrup might be interested. But instead it's probably going to go to Tintín Martínez, the current number two, leaving Laudrup only with Racing and Getafe as possibilities.
But Racing are after Málaga coach Juan Ramón López Muñiz - which would at least make Málaga an option - and Getafe who, having been turned down by Valverde, Emery, and Martín Vázquez, aren't really an option because they are looking at former Levante coach Gianni Di Biasi or Pepe Murcia who was once at Atlético - who, amazingly, haven't sacked their coach for once.
Oh, and because they're the club Laudrup just left.
Got that? Nor has La Liga Loca.
or
to add your comments
About Tim Stannard and Simon Talbot
When he isn't fighting the evil forces of flamenco or attracting libel actions for La Liga Loca,
Tim Stannard is building his media empire in Madrid. As well as contributing to Football365 and doing odd jobs elsewhere, Tim also works in the glamorous world of television as a producer, script writer, news editor, coffee boy and stand-in fluffer.
Simon Talbot? Well, he's a man of mystery.