SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Moyes 'disappointed' at Sociedad sacking

MADRID (Reuters) - David Moyes has expressed disappointment at being sacked by Real Sociedad last week and said he had been confident of "finishing in a strong position" in La Liga this season.

Moyes 'disappointed' at Sociedad sacking
(Reuters)

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Skip to article content

The former Manchester United and Everton manager's bid to resurrect his career in Spain ended in failure when Sociedad rescinded his contract following a defeat at Las Palmas which left the Basque club hovering just above the relegation places.

Moyes, 52, who was sacked by United in April 2014, was replaced by former Celta Vigo and Barcelona B coach Eusebio Sacristan with the team in similar dire straits to when the Scot took over a year ago.

In his first public comments since he was dismissed, Moyes said he regretted not being able to see out his contract, which ran until the end of the season.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

He said he had "turned down a number of job opportunities in recent months" without specifying what they were.

"When I accepted the job as manager of La Real last November, my remit was to avoid relegation and retain the club’s La Liga status," Moyes said in a statement published by the League Managers Association (LMA) on Tuesday.

"We succeeded in attaining that target and finished 12th in the table," he added.

"I feel that we made significant progress last season. Despite some positive performances from our team, results have not gone our way in recent weeks.

"However, I was confident we would finish in a strong position by the end of the season."

Moyes was considered a risky appointment by some in Spain because of his limited knowledge of La Liga and inability to speak the language, and he was criticised for not making more of an effort to learn Spanish.

He said he felt he had learned from working outside England.

"After spending 12 years in the Premier League as manager of Everton and Manchester United, I was keen to take the opportunity to work abroad and have learnt a great deal from the experience," he said.

(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Rob Hodgetts)


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world