Spanish side Villarreal have announced that head coach Marcelino Garcia Toral will leave the club at the end of the season, despite helping the club to Champions League qualification.
The decision to part ways with the 60-year-old comes just days after he led the Yellow Submarines to a 5-1 rout of Levante, which sealed their place in next season’s UCL.
Marcelino has now led the club to the competition in back-to-back seasons in his second spell in charge.
The Spaniard first coached Villarreal between 2013 and 2016, before leaving the club and spending stints at Valencia, Athletic Bilbao and Marseille.
He returned for a second stint in 2023, signing a three-year contract which is set to expire this summer.
“Villarreal CF and the Asturian coach will part ways at the end of the season. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, Marce, for everything you have given to this club and these fans. We wish you all the best in your future sporting endeavors”, the club posted on social media.
Villarreal reportedly offered Marcelino a one-year contract extension earlier in the year, but he wanted a long-term offer and will now leave after both sides failed to reach an agreement.
The 60-year-old has also managed the most matches in the club’s history with 298 games and has also guided the club to the most victories while in charge (145).
The Yellow Submarines have four more games left to play in the La Liga this season, beginning with next weekend’s trip to the Iberostar Stadium to face Mallorca.
They will then face Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano, before concluding their campaign against Atletico Madrid in a game that could decide the league’s third-placed team.
Meanwhile, talks have reportedly begun to appoint Rayo Vallecano head coach Inigo Perez as Marcelino’s replacement ahead of next season.
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