Soccer-Marcelino named Valencia coach

By Richard Martin

BARCELONA, May 11 ( Reuters) - Former Villarreal manager Marcelino has been named as Valencia coach for next season, the club said in a statement on Thursday, as the fallen giants of La Liga plot an improvement on two disappointing campaigns.

Marcelino took Villarreal from Spain's second tier to three consecutive top-six finishes and the semi-finals of last season's Europa League. He was dismissed at the start of this campaign due to differences with the board of directors.

Marcelino has been out of work since, with league rules preventing a coach from working for two different top-flight clubs in the same season.

He will take over from caretaker manager Voro, who has steered the six-times Liga champions into 13th in the standings since Cesare Prandelli resigned in December and will remain in charge for the final two games of the campaign. (Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Ed Osmond)