- Title: Former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli unveiled as new Valencia manager.
- Date: 3rd October 2016
- Summary: VALENCIA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 3, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF THE VALENCIA F.C. STADIUM "MESTALLA" VARIOUS OF NEW VALENCIA MANAGER CESARE PRANDELLI POSING WITH A VALENCIA JERSEY WITH THE CLUB'S PRESIDENT LAYHOON CHAN PHOTOGRAPHERS PRANDELLI AND LAYHOON BEFORE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VALENCIA F.C. PRESIDENT LAYHOON CHAN, SAYING: "He doesn't need much introduction because he is a well-known and respected coach in soccer's world. Please welcome Cesare to Valencia." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) VALENCIA F.C. MANAGER CESARE PRANDELLI, SAYING: "Good afternoon to all. I have said 'yes' to Valencia because, speaking, to Suso (Valencia sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch) he explained to me that they have a very interesting project. It is a footballing project in which the Valencian mentality is predominant. So the contrast between a mentality and a technical project is fascinating. So I said 'yes'." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) VALENCIA F.C. MANAGER CESARE PRANDELLI, SAYING: "I am optimistic because there is an interesting technical base. It is a team that still has margin for improvement. It is a team with the mentality of trying to always build something. My challenge is to bring some balance because it might be what the team is lacking now." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) VALENCIA F.C. MANAGER CESARE PRANDELLI, SAYING: "Talking to Suso, he has given me the guarantee from the professional quality of the players’ point of view so we are starting with great enthusiasm and with the desire to make things happen. It is an honour for me to be in a glorious, important and historic club and I am looking forward to bring it back to history." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) VALENCIA F.C. MANAGER CESARE PRANDELLI, SAYING: "It is like when a businessman makes a long-term project. The project here is to bring back Valencia into the Champions League but I don't know how long that would take. Six months, one year or two years. I don't know but in his (Pitarch) mind, the goal is to put Valencia back in that position." VALENCIA F.C. SHIELD ON WALL VARIOUS OF PRANDELLI STANDING PRANDELLI LEAVING
- Embargoed: 18th October 2016 13:07
- Keywords: Valencia Cesare Prandelli Soccer Italy Spain
- Location: VALENCIA, SPAIN
- City: VALENCIA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00152GB9DR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: New Valencia coach Cesare Prandelli wants to take the "glorious club" back to enjoying a starring role in La Liga and Europe, he said on Monday (October 3).
The 59-year-old Italian has signed a contract until June 2018 with the Spanish club, becoming their ninth coach since 2012.
"My challenge is to bring some balance because it might be what the team is lacking now," Prandelli told a news conference on Monday at the Mestalla Stadium.
"The project here is to bring back Valencia into the Champions League but I don't know how long that would take," he said.
Valencia are 18th in the La Liga standings with six points from seven games.
They fired Pako Ayestaran two weeks ago after taking just 10 points from 12 games after taking over from Gary Neville in March, the worst record of any coach in the club's 98-year history.
Neither Ayestaran nor Neville had any coaching experience, which is in stark contrast to Prandelli, a former Fiorentina and Italy coach.
During his five-year spell at Fiorentina, Prandelli guided the team to fourth place in Serie A and to the round of 16 in the 2009-10 Champions League.
He led Italy to a runners-up finish at Euro 2012 before resigning after the team's first-round exit at the 2014 World Cup.
He coached Galatasaray before leaving the Turkish club in November 2014 and has not managed a team since.
"I have said 'yes' to Valencia because, speaking, to Suso (Valencia sports director Jesus Garcia Pitarch) he explained to me that they have a very interesting project. It is a footballing project in which the Valencian mentality is predominant. So the contrast between a mentality and a technical project is fascinating. So I said 'yes'," Prandelli said.
Prandelli, in the stands for Valencia's 2-0 home defeat by Atletico Madrid on Sunday (October 2), is upbeat.
"It is like when a businessman makes a long-term project. The project here is to bring back Valencia into the Champions League but I don't know how long that would take. Six months, one year or two years. I don't know but in his (Pitarch) mind, the goal is to put Valencia back in that position." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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