Elche have named Rubén Baraja as their new head coach after their previous coach, Fran Escriba left the club three weeks ago.

Elche relegated

Elche finished 13th in La Liga last season but the club were relegated after failing to pay a tax bill although they are still going through the process of appealing the LFP's decision.

As a result Escriba announced that he would be leaving the club to take over at Getafe after three years in charge of Los Franjiverdes, where he had guided the team to promotion in his first season and securing safety, on the field at least, in their two seasons in La Liga.

Baraja arrives at the club as no stranger to football in the Valencia area having spent 10 years as a player with Elche's local rivals, Valencia. Baraja spent three years with his hometown club, Vallodolid before a four year spell with Atletico Madrid prior to his move to Valencia in 2000.

Baraja enjoyed a superb spell with Los Che, winning two La Liga titles, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Copa del Rey as well as being on the losing side in the Champions League Final when Bayern Munich beat Valencia on penalties in 2001. 

Coaching experience

Baraja retired as a player in 2010 after several injury hit seasons in the latter years of his career and a year later he joined Atletico Madrid as part of Gregorio Manzano's back room team during the Spaniard's ill fated second spell in charge of Los Rojiblancos.

That role lasted just a few months and Baraja had another short spell as a coach with Valencia in 2013 where he coached the youth team and reserve team for a period. 

Baraja doesn't bring a vast amount of coaching experience to the role but the club will be hopeful that his experience as a player and his reputation can attract the quality of players that will help the club regain the top flight status they lost as a result of their off the field difficulties. 

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About the author
Gerry Johnston
Cover Spanish and Italian football for VAVEL UK.