MADRID: Valencia, which has received a takeover bid from a Singapore billionaire, said yesterday they have appointed their former Argentine striker Juan Antonio Pizzi as their new coach.
The 45-year-old, who just led San Lorenzo, the Buenos Aires team supported by Pope Francis, to the Argentine league title, replaces Serbia’s Miroslav Djukic who was sacked last week afer just six months at the helm of the Spanish club.
“Valencia have finalised a deal with Juan Antonio Pizzi to make the Argentine the new manager of the club. He will be joined at Valencia by fitness coach Alejandro Richino and assistant Manuel Suarez,” the club said in a statement.
The six-time La Liga champions sacked Djukic, 47, after Valencia’s 3-0 loss at second-placed Atletico Madrid which left the team in ninth place in the league table.
Pizzi played for Valencia as a striker during the 1993-94 season.
Last week Valencia announced that Singaporean businessman Peter Lim has made a bid to take over financially stricken club and wipe out its debt.
The club has been looking for investors since principal creditor Bankia refused earlier this month to refinance the combined 306 million euro ($418m, £256m) debt the club and its foundation has with the bank.
Valencia president Amadeo Salvo said Lim placed a deadline of January 15 for the club and its creditors to decide on his offer.
Lim, 60, has a net worth of $2.05bn, making him Singapore’s fifth richest man, according to Forbes.
Meanwhile, Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes says he has recovered from a right calf strain and is fit to return to the team after the Christmas break.
The 31-year-old sustained the injury during Spain’s humbling 1-0 defeat to South Africa in a friendly on November 19 in Johannesburg, the site of their 2010 World Cup victory.
“Training session today December 25. I am ready,” he wrote in a message on his official Twitter account.
Valdes, who has revealed plans to leave the Spanish champions when his current contract expires in 2014, said last week he was targeting a return in Barcelona’s league match at home to Elche on January 5.
“I am feeling very good. These weeks have been unusual for me as I had never been injured before but we have now completed two goalkeeping sessions and one more intense one and everything has gone faster than expected,” he told a news conference on December 20.
“The latest tests show everything has mended. I am excited about playing again and if everything goes well the plan is for me to make my comeback against Elche if the coach decides that is the right decision,” he added.Agencies
