Marcelino is known to be a coach that rules with an iron fist, and a recent report in Diario AS has underlined exactly how difficult he can be to work under.
Cani, who played for Marcelino at Villarreal, revealed to the YouTube channel Idolos his problems with his former coach.
“When he arrived it was amazing because he demanded [so much,” Cani said. “But when the first year after his arrival passed he became distrustful and controlling and started to b**** at me.
“He made me train in the afternoon, treating me like a bully at school. It wasn’t like that, far from it, but that’s the closest comparison. I decided I didn’t want to continue playing for him because he was making me unhappy.
Image courtesy of UEFA.
“There came a point where I was already p***** off and I couldn’t take any more of him, so at a captains’ meeting I got up and started yelling at him.
“He dismissed me as captain and I told him I didn’t care because I couldn’t take it anymore. I trained alone from the next day.”
Despite their problems, however, Cani maintained that he still had great respect for Marcelino’s coaching ability. “Despite everything I have said, Marcelino has been the best coach I have had in my entire life.”
Image courtesy of Villarreal USA.
Cani spent nine seasons at Villarreal and had become one of the most influential figures in the dressing room.
After the breakdown of his relationship with Marcelino he went to Atletico Madrid on loan, eventually returning to Villarreal again. He then played for Deportivo la Coruna before retiring with Zaragoza, the team which which he began his career.
Marcelino spent three years at Villarreal, leaving in 2016 and joining Valencia the next year.
He was then sacked by Valencia just after winning the 2019 Copa del Rey, and has been out of work ever since despite being linked with numerous posts.
Featured image courtesy of Football Transfer Tavern.
