Valencia Sacks Coach Baraja After Falling to Second-to-Last Position

Valencia has sacked its coach, Ruben Baraja, after winning only two of their first 17 matches in the Spanish La Liga this season.

After a 2-2 draw at home against Alavés on Sunday, Valencia was only separated from the bottom of the table by goal difference from Valladolid, but still remains four points away from safety in 19th place.

According to The Athletic, the 49-year-old Baraja had overseen only one win in the last 11 league matches for the club, without any victories in the last five games. This poor run resulted in just two points, including a defeat against Valladolid.

In the club’s annual general meeting on Friday, Valencia’s president, Lay Hoon Chan, stated that there were no plans to part ways with Baraja, who had become the 16th full-time coach of the club since 2012.

Valencia has not finished higher than 9th in any of the last five seasons and has been in the top division of Spanish football since 1987.

Baraja was appointed head coach of the club in February 2023, securing the club’s top-flight status by just two points on the last day of that season, before finishing 9th in the 2023-24 campaign.

A former midfielder, Baraja played 364 matches for the first team over 10 seasons with Valencia, winning five titles including two La Liga titles and the UEFA Cup, which was known at the time as the UEFA Cup.

His coaching career includes stints at Elche, Rayo Vallecano, Sporting Gijón, Tenerife, and Zaragoza.