La Liga club Real Sociedad hired former Manchester United manager David Moyes on Monday, giving the Scot a chance to revive his career after his failed stint at Old Trafford.
Sociedad posted a statement on their Web site saying they had “reached a deal with manager David Moyes to be the coach of the first team until June 30, 2016.”
It is Moyes’ first coaching assignment since being fired last season after less than a year in charge at United, where he took the top job after Alex Ferguson retired. Moyes had moved to United after spending more than a decade at Everton, where he established a reputation as one of the top British managers.
Photo: Reuters
San Sebastian-based Sociedad are 15th in the 20-team league after earning a 2-1 upset win over champions Atletico Madrid on Sunday under caretaker coaches.
The Basque club said they were to announce plans to present Moyes and detail the rest of his coaching staff yesterday.
Sociedad fired Jagoba Arrasate after earning just one win in the first 10 rounds of La Liga and failing to reach the UEFA Europa League group stage in his second year in charge of the team.
Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay last week said that Moyes was one of four potential candidates to replace Arrasate. Another was former West Bromwich Albion and Real Betis Balompie boss Pepe Mel.
Moyes will inherit a team known for an attractive, passing-based style during recent seasons that led them to a fourth-place finish and a UEFA Champions League berth last year. The team lost forward Antoine Griezmann and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in the off-season, but they still have Mexican forward Carlos Vela to lead the attack, Inigo Martinez to anchor the defense and veteran Xabi Prieto in midfield.
United fired Moyes in April, 10 months after Ferguson had hand-picked him as his successor. Moyes failed to uphold Ferguson’s winning legacy and left the team languishing in seventh place in the Premier League and assured to miss qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in 19 years.
However, United have not fared better this season under Louis van Gaal. The 20-time English champions are seventh after 11 rounds, trailing leaders Chelsea by 13 points.
Moyes will now have the opportunity to turn around his career and Erreala’s fortunes by restarting the club’s campaign to qualify for the Europa League with a fifth or sixth-place finish, instead of worrying about a late-season relegation battle.
Moyes’ debut for Sociedad is to be on the road at struggling RC Deportivo de La Coruna after the international break on Nov. 22.
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