La Liga side Valencia named Pako Ayestarán as the replacement for sacked Manager Gary Neville until the end of the season, according to Luke Augustus of the London DAILY MAIL. His first game as manager will be at Las Palmas on Saturday. Ayestarán was an assistant coach at Valencia from '01-04, helping the club to the league title in '02 and '04. He rejoined Valencia's coaching staff in February at Neville's request (DAILY MAIL, 3/31). In London, Oliver Kay reported Neville has "previously been lauded as a future candidate to manage England" or ManU, but he stated that his long-term ambitions "went beyond frontline management and coaching even before what proved to be a bruising experience at Valencia." He will be "welcomed back" to the TV studio by Sky Sports should he wish to return to punditry, "whether on a permanent or temporary basis." He remains a business partner of Valencia Owner Peter Lim (LONDON TIMES, 3/31). The EFE reported Valencia President Layhoon Chan reiterated on Thursday that Lim's project is "long-term." She explained, "We do not want to make Valencia into a Chinese club, it is eventually going to be managed by people from here and this is important to Meriton (Lim's business)" (EFE, 3/31).
