The season has ended and clubs are once again starting to put together their squads for next season. As usual, the first task is to to tie up their manager, and several will be making a change this summer, the most notable being at Barcelona, where Guardiola has decided to take a year's break, and has handed over the reigns to his assistant Tito Vilanova. This week though all of that has been saddened by the sudden death of ex Sporting coach Manolo Preciado, who died of a heart attack the night before he was due to be announced as the new boss at Villarreal. Our thought are with his family. Life goes on though, and when a new man is announced he will have the difficult task of picking up the pieces of a team which will have to be reconstructed after both the A and B sides were relegated. Sporting meanwhile have promoted B team coach Manolo Sánchez to take over from Javier Clemente, and Valencia have also decided to make a change, the untested Mauricio Pellegrino brought in to replace Unai Emery, who has quickly found himself a job at Spartak Moscow. Granada, Rayo Vallecano and Racing Santander in particular are still managerless though, and we expect new appointments to be made in the near future. On the player front, Atlético Madrid, Sevilla and Valencia are the early starters, Atleti signing on Cristian Rodríguez and Emre, the Andalusians tying up Villarreal keeper Diego López and Valencia's Maduro, and Valencia themselves taking on Pereira, Guardado and Jonathan Viera. Watch this space for all the latest news from now on. (09.06.12)
Player (Country) | Current club | New club | Position/Comments |
Tito Vilanova | Technical staff | Barcelona | MG Even know about this one on Planet Zog! Assistant coach Tito chosen to take over from Guardiola. |
Altintop (TKY) | Real Madrid | Galatasaray (TKY) | MF Hardly played last season, partly due to injury, and has agreed terms to return to Turkey. |
Cristian Rodríguez (URU / ITA) | Porto (POR) | Atlético Madrid | MF "El Cebolla" signs for 4 years on free transfer. Known as "the onion" for making opposing defenders cry! |
Emre Belözoglu (TKY) | Fenerbahce (TKY) | Atlético Madrid | MF Another who joins free of charge. Ex Newcastle and Inter midfielder signs for 2 years. |
Diego López | Villarreal | Sevilla | GK Signed Spanish international for 5 years, fee around 3.5 Mio. Palop or Varas will probably move on. |
Maduro (HOL) | Valencia | Sevilla | MF Turned down offers to renew at Valencia, and from Spartak, and agrees to move to Nervión. |
Javi Hervás | Córdoba | Sevilla | MF Paid 1.2 Mio for promising youngster in January, but transfer only effective this summer. 5 year deal. |
Rabello (CHL / POL) | Colo Colo (CHL) | Sevilla | FW Have tied up 18 year old, who has already played for Chile at international level. May be loaned out at first though. |
Pellegrino (ARG) | No club | Valencia | MG Ex player and youth team coach takes over from Emery, who goes to Spartak Moscow. Has worked as assistant to Benítez at Liverpool & Inter. |
Pereira (POR) | Sporting Lisbon (POR) | Valencia | DF Paid 3.6 Mio for Portuguese international right back. Replaces Bruno & Miguel, who are out of contract. |
Guardado (MEX) | Deportivo | Valencia | MF Depor couldn't hold on to him despite promotion, and moves to Mestall on 4 year deal. |
Jonathan Viera | Las Palmas | Valencia | MF Have signed promising young youth international for 4 years. Follows in footsteps of Canary Islander David Silva. |
Manolo Sánchez | Sporting Gijón B | Sporting Gijón | MG B team manager with long history in club will take over from Javier Clemente. |
Van Nistelrooy (HOL) | Málaga | Retiring | FW Van the Man decides to hang up his boots after long and illustrious career. |
Chori Castro (URU) | Mallorca | Real Sociedad | MF Several clubs vying for out of contract winger, but Real get ahead of them all to sign him on 4 year deal. |
Agra (POR) | Olhanense (POR) | Betis | MF Agreed terms with Portuguese under 21 winger in January, but only joins now. |
Rubén Pérez | Atlético Madrid / Getafe | Betis | MF Have decided to loan him on again after spells at Depor & Getafe, this time will join Betis for next season. |
Lafita | Zaragoza | Getafe | MF Ex Depor midfielder out of contract at Zaragoza and signs 4 year deal. |
David Abraham (ARG) | Basel (SWI) | Getafe | DF Ex Nàstic defender agrees to move to Spain on 4 year contract. |
Nano | Numancia | Osasuna | FW Had tied him up a few weeks ago, but waited until end of season to confirm. Valladolid's Sisi next? |
Koné (IV CO) | Sevilla | Levante | FW Was on loan last season and was a goal short of automatic renewal. Gets what he wanted with permanent move, although he may still be sold on. |
Javi Venta | Levante | Villarreal | DF Veteran full back returns to old club to hlp them get back to top flight. |
Marcano | Villarreal / Olympiacos | Rubin Kazan (RUS) | DF No place after retruning from new loan spell, and is transferred to Rubin for fee of around 5 Mio. |
André Santos (POR) | Sporting Lisbon (POR) | Deportivo | MF First signing for Depor on their return to top flight. Joins on loan with purchase option. |