Villarreal coach Preciado dies of heart attack

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Spanish football is in mourning today after receiving the sad new that newly-appointed Villarreal coach Manuel ‘Manolo’ Preciado has died in Valencia of a heart attack.

Emergency services were called to a residential address close to the beach of El Parello this morning where he 54-year-old former Sporting Gijon boss was staying with his partner, prior to Friday’s press conference to unveil him as new coach of Villarreal.

It is reported paramedics were unsuccessful in their attempts to revive Preciado and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cantabrian-born Preciado was one of Spanish football’s most loved characters and spent time at five separate clubs during a coaching career that began at Gimnastica in 1995. He was sacked by Sporting last month after six years at El Molinon.

Villarreal released an official statement on their club website on Thursday reading:

“Coach Manuel Preciado died early this morning in Valencia as a result of a heart attack. He had been elected by Villarreal to manage the club next season and was currently 54 years old.

The Submarine wants to show its deep condolences to his family and friends.”

Preciado’s wife died from cancer in 2002 and the coach was left devastated when his 15-year-old son was killed in a car accident two years later. He suffered yet more tragedy last year when his father, also named Manuel, was knocked down and killed in Santander.

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