Escribá Takes the Reins at Valladolid in Relegation Dogfight
After four straight defeats, Valladolid sack Tevenet and turn to experienced manager Fran Escribá on a long-term deal to save them from the drop to Primera RFEF.
Valladolid have moved swiftly to replace the sacked Tevenet, appointing veteran manager Fran Escribá on a contract until 2027 in a desperate bid to avoid relegation from Spain’s second tier.
Third Time’s a Charm?
The Pucela faithful must be wondering what’s gone wrong this season, with Escribá becoming their third gaffer of the campaign after Guillermo Almada and Luis García Tevenet both failed to steady the ship. The latter got his marching orders following Sunday’s humiliating 5-1 drubbing at Granada – the fourth consecutive defeat for a side currently occupying a relegation spot.
With just 16 matches remaining in LaLiga Hypermotion, the club’s brass have turned to the 60-year-old Valencian to rescue what’s shaping up to be Valladolid’s worst season in five decades. Bit of a hospital pass, if you ask me.
Víctor’s Old Mucker
Escribá’s appointment isn’t coming completely out of the blue. He shares a close relationship with Valladolid’s sporting director Víctor Orta from their time together at Elche – one of the many stops on Escribá’s extensive coaching journey.
The new gaffer will waste no time getting stuck in, taking Tuesday’s training session before being unveiled to the media later that day.
Decent Track Record
Escribá’s CV makes for decent reading:
- Cut his teeth as Quique Sánchez Flores’ assistant at Getafe, Valencia, Benfica and Atlético Madrid
- First solo gig at Elche saw him win promotion to La Liga and maintain top-flight status for two seasons
- Brief spell at Getafe before moving to Villarreal, where he guided them to fifth place
- Stints at Celta Vigo and a return to Elche followed
- Most recently managed Segunda División sides Real Zaragoza and Granada
He’s been on gardening leave since leaving Granada in May 2025, but now faces perhaps his toughest challenge yet – saving a historic club from the ignominy of dropping to Primera RFEF.
The Blanquivioletas are in desperate need of some of that old Escribá magic, and sharpish. They’ve been proper pants recently, and the new gaffer will need to work miracles to keep them up. Still, stranger things have happened in the mad world of Spanish football.