NYCFC Confirm Departure of PV. Nice Confirm Arrival of PV as Manager.

Patrick who?
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Get ready for the Historic first mid-season caretaker coach.

I get the timing difference and why PV saw the opportunity and went for it. However, it still feels really awkward for a team at the top of the table to have their manager just get up and leave mid-season. I get a floundering club where the manager gets sacked.

Can someone find a similar example where a team is top 3-4 in the table and their manager just leaves mid-season?

I hate to say it but for an ambitious coach, top of table MLS isn’t worth as much as even a mid-bottom level French team. It only looks awkward to us. To the rest of the world, it looks expected. As much as MLS has improved, we are not on par yet.
 
Can someone find a similar example where a team is top 3-4 in the table and their manager just leaves mid-season?
How about the coach of a World Cup favorite negotiating his departure days before the World Cup, announcing his departure hours before the World Cup, leaving his federation no choice but to remove him minutes before the World Cup? So much to unpack with that situation.
 
How about the coach of a World Cup favorite negotiating his departure days before the World Cup, announcing his departure hours before the World Cup, leaving his federation no choice but to remove him minutes before the World Cup? So much to unpack with that situation.

You saying PV should have held out for the Spain job?
 
How about the coach of a World Cup favorite negotiating his departure days before the World Cup, announcing his departure hours before the World Cup, leaving his federation no choice but to remove him minutes before the World Cup? So much to unpack with that situation.

Why does the federation have no choice but to remove him?
 
Why does the federation have no choice but to remove him?
I am just being loose with my reference to the circumstances. Of course they had a choice, but seemed to have had enough concern/upset to make the most drastic move in extraordinary circumstances. I have no insight into their thought process, so it can turn out that they cut off their noses. I have no idea.
 
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I am just being loose with my reference to the circumstances. Of course they had a choice, but seemed to have had enough concern/upset to make the most drastic move in extraordinary circumstances. I have no insight into their thought process, so it can turn out that they cut off their noses. I have no idea.

Got it.

I am just really surprised by the move. Most national team jobs turn over after a World Cup anyway. What in the world could the Spanish Federation have been so concerned about that they so obviously hurt their chances with a move like this?
 
The Soccer Twiterrati seem to believe that the blame lies with Real Madrid. They tried to have a dick measuring contest with the Spanish Federation when it was unnecessary. The Federation had no choice. Apparently, everyone knew this was happening, but Real Madrid wouldn't wait a month to announce it.
 
Not a perfect analogue, but Munich signed Frankfurt's current coach in April to take over in the off-season. He finished the season out for Frankfurt, including leading Frankfurt over Munich in the German Cup final. That sets up him coaching Munich against Frankfurt to kick off the 2018-19 Season in the Super Cup. Madrid and Spain aren't even rivals or in competition. It's a dick move by Madrid IMO, but I think the national federation comes off looking weaker not stronger for breaking off with him now. Of course if they win it was brilliant.
 
Not a perfect analogue, but Munich signed Frankfurt's current coach in April to take over in the off-season. He finished the season out for Frankfurt, including leading Frankfurt over Munich in the German Cup final. That sets up him coaching Munich against Frankfurt to kick off the 2018-19 Season in the Super Cup. Madrid and Spain aren't even rivals or in competition. It's a dick move by Madrid IMO, but I think the national federation comes off looking weaker not stronger for breaking off with him now. Of course if they win it was brilliant.
What if he knowingly has Spain lose, helping himself get
1. a healthier squad and
2. a few more days/weeks to prep for/with Madrid??
 
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I read somewhere that the news had leaked beyond the coach, Madrid, and the few players that had been told, and that the announcement was to pre-empt the news breaking.
 
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Got it.

I am just really surprised by the move. Most national team jobs turn over after a World Cup anyway. What in the world could the Spanish Federation have been so concerned about that they so obviously hurt their chances with a move like this?
“The president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, insisted that he had little choice but terminate Lopetegui’s contract as a matter of principle after the coach negotiated with Real Madrid behind their back. The sacking comes in response to the news, released on Tuesday afternoon, that Lopetegui had agreed to take over at Real Madrid when the World Cup ends.

“There are decisions that we are obliged to take based on an understanding of how you should behave and on ethics,” he said. He said that it was legitimate for Lopetegui to negotiate with Real Madrid but not for the federation to find out just five minutes before a formal announcement was made, days before the beginning of the tournament”