Mauricio Pellegrino to Coach Leganes Next Season

Garitano helped Leganes avoid relegation after a 17th-place finish in La Liga last season.

Madrid, June 2: Argentine coach Mauricio Pellegrino will take charge of La Liga side Leganes in the 2018/19 season after reaching a one-year agreement with the Spanish football club, it was announced on Saturday. Pellegrino, 46, was dismissed as coach of the English Premier League side Southampton, and takes over from Spanish coach Asier Garitano, who heads to Real Sociedad, reports Efe.

Garitano helped Leganes avoid relegation after a 17th-place finish in La Liga last season. Pellegrino returns to the Spanish sideline after having led Alaves to the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona in the 2016/17 season, and also coached at Valencia.

The Argentine coach also has experience on the benches of his native country at Estudiantes de La Plata and Club Atletico Independiente. As a player, Pellegrino played for Velez Sarsfield, Barcelona, Valencia, Liverpool and Alaves before retiring in 2006.