Villarreal to turn back to Javi Calleja after sacking Luis García
The Yellow Submarine are considering calling their former manager, who was sacked in December, to replace his replacement.
Two months can be an awfully long time in football and Javi Calleja is reportedly going to the beneficiary of Villarreal’s run of poor form with the Yellow Submarine board considering re-hiring the 40-year-old after sacking him in December.
Villarreal announced on Tuesday that the club had parted company with Luis García, who took over from Calleja, after just six Liga games in charge with four points accrued from those fixtures. A 3-0 regional derby defeat to Valencia was the final straw for the Villarreal board, which acted two days later.
Luis García's 49-day reign
Villarreal currently lie in the relegation places and are three points behind 18th-placed Celta and five adrift of resurgent Rayo in 17th. When García took the reins, the side were in 17th and a point above the relegation mire.
García’s 49-day tenure reaped just a single win – a Europa League game against Spartak Moscow – and Villarreal were also knocked out of the Copa del Rey under his stewardship by Espanyol.
Villarreal president Fernando Roig has called a press conference at 17:00 on Tuesday when it is expected the new coach will be announced. While Calleja is the favourite, Villarreal B coach Miguel Álvarez could make the step up on an interim basis.
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