Marcelino held a press conference and spoke about being let go as the manager of Valencia.
Marcelino entered an unstable environment and turned around a Valencia side in turmoil. He got the club back into the Champions League and won the Copa del Rey. But was fired by Peter Lim three games into the season.
The former manager of Valencia was given the opportunity to hold a press conference where he got emotional and talked a bit about why he felt he was let go. Shockingly, winning the cup may have been where the trouble began.
According to Superdeporte, Marcelino said, “I am convinced, absolutely, that the catalyst to this situation was winning the Copa del Rey. Last season, we received messages that we should forget about the cup.”
Marcelino went on to say that Peter Lim offered his congratulations when the team beat Valladolid and qualified for the Champions League but said nothing when Valencia beat Barcelona in the cup final.
One of the reasons as to why Lim wanted Valencia to “throw away” the cup was because he felt that the tournament would get in their way of qualifying for the Champions League which ultimately it did not.
Marcelino also stated that the cup was something both he, his staff, players, and the supporters wanted to win and it was not something they were going to brush aside.
Sport claim that not getting in Denis Suarez and Rafinha was another sticking point between the manager and owner. Marcelino explicitly asked for both these players but was rebuffed by Lim.
Marcelino was well-liked and respected inside the Valencia locker room. Once news of his departure was made official, several of his ex-players came out in support of him. Most notably team captain Dani Parejo and Ezequiel Garay who criticized whoever took the decision of firing him.
In his press conference, Marcelino also took the time to say that following his presser, he was going to take some time away from the public spotlight.
Marcelino: "Después de esta rueda de prensa me voy a apartar durante un tiempo del escenario público" pic.twitter.com/062mwBoVMa
— MARCA (@marca) September 13, 2019
He mentioned that while there is hurt for being fired, time heals all wounds and life has to go on. He informed the media that he would answer any questions the reporters felt were prudent and thanked those who supported him during his time as Valencia manager.
Albert Celades will be the new man in charge and considering the support his predecessor had from both players and fans, he is going to have a tough task ahead of him as well as big shoes to fill.