Football pundit and Manchester United legend, Gary Neville took charge of Valencia in December 2015, a move that stunned football.
Here was a club pushing for Champions League qualification, handing the reins to a man with no managerial experience, no Spanish language skills, and—by his own admission—no burning desire to be a coach.
Despite that Neville took the reigns at Valencia, but what followed was a chaotic four-month spell that exposed the risks of hiring a rookie manager mid-season at a club in turmoil.
Under Neville Valencia played 28 games across all competitions. Tactically, Valencia played under numerous formations from the most played 4-3-3 attacking to 4-2-3-1, 5-4-1 and even a 4-4-2 with a double 6.
🗣️ Valencia’s ex-president on Gary Neville:
“That Englishman we had, he was honestly the worst coach I’ve ever seen in my life.” pic.twitter.com/Xc9P2LMXc9
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) April 7, 2025
From tactical confusion to a winless streak that stretched nearly three months, Neville’s tenure became a cautionary tale. By the time he was sacked in March 2016, Valencia had tumbled down the La Liga table, and Neville returned to punditry—perhaps wiser, but certainly not as a manager.
Watch: When Gary Neville was a manager
Photo: ESPNFC/X