Real Valladolid manager Sergio González is on the brink of being sacked following the team’s humiliating 5-0 home defeat to Eibar on Sunday. The heavy loss has left Valladolid in 18th place in La Liga, just one point above the relegation zone.
González has overseen a dismal run of form since taking charge of Valladolid in the summer. The team has won just two of their first 13 league games, drawing five and losing six. Valladolid have also been eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Segunda División side Leganés.
The defeat to Eibar has piled the pressure on González, with fans and club officials alike calling for his dismissal. Valladolid owner Ronaldo Nazário has reportedly given González an ultimatum to turn things around or face the sack.
González admitted that the defeat to Eibar was “unacceptable” and that he was “deeply disappointed” with his team’s performance. However, he vowed to “fight to the end” and said that he was confident that Valladolid could still avoid relegation.
If González is sacked, a number of potential replacements have been linked with the Valladolid job. These include former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, ex-Valencia coach Marcelino García Toral, and current Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Valladolid’s next match is a crucial home clash against fellow strugglers Getafe on Saturday. González will need to deliver a positive result to save his job and give the team a fighting chance of staying up. A defeat could see him become the third La Liga manager to be sacked this season, following the departures of Julen Lopetegui from Sevilla and Unai Emery from Villarreal.
