Valverde exits Valencia after UCL miss

Posted Sunday, June 02, 2013 by Foxsports.com

Ernesto Valverde has confirmed he will leave his post as Valencia coach after the club missed out on the Champions League on the final day of the Spanish season.

Saturday's 4-3 defeat to Sevilla saw Real Sociedad snatch fourth place.

After the match Valverde, who said earlier this week he would not decide on his future until after the season, said he had coached his final match for the club, having taken over from Mauricio Pellegrino, who was sacked in December.

"This has been my last game for Valencia," Valverde said in comments reported on the club's official Twitter account.

"If I waited until now to say this it is because my intention was to keep the competitive spirit (in the side)."

Valencia went into the night in fourth place, but their defeat, coupled with Sociedad's 1-0 win over relegated Deportivo La Coruna saw the two clubs flip places and sent Valencia into the Europa League.

Valverde's frustration at the final score, and the performance of the referee Cloz Gomez, was clear in his press conference.

"The whole team and I are very sorry we could not take the club to the Champions League," he said.

"The match was very marked, the referee did not have a good day to say the least.

"It seems unfair that the match has been so unbalanced by the decisions of the referee."

The 49-year-old Valverde agreed a six-month contract when he took over from Pellegrino in December with the club in 12th position and oversaw a revival in their fortunes, although the failure to cross the final hurdle and secure Champions League football is a particular blow given the state of the club's finances.