Pellegrino new coach of Spanish club Alaves

Madrid: Spanish football club Deportivo Alaves has confirmed former Valencia coach Mauricio Pellegrino as their new head coach. The 44-year-old, who ended his playing career at the club in 2006, replaces Jose Bordalas after the Alaves Board of Directors on Sunday decided not to renew the contract of the former, who not only took them back into the Spanish top-flight football after a 10-year absence, but did so as champions of the domestic second division.

Pellegrino had a short and unsuccessful spell as coach of Valencia in 2012, before being sacked before the midway point in the season and has since coached Estudiantes de la Plata and Independiente in his native Argentina.