Malaga manager Javi Gracia has ended speculation about his future by signing a new contract with the club. He has now extended his stay until 2019.
The former coach of Almeria and Osasuna has been impressive in his first two campaigns at the Spanish club. One of the major highlights of his time at Malaga would be the 1-0 win over Barcelona last season. Further, he has also been able to draw both matches against Real Madrid this season. Despite the successes, the club has not been able to make huge inroads as far as league position is concerned.
This turned out to be a source of concern for the manager amidst rumours that Malaga were considering a managerial change in order to start moving up the table. Inconsistent results mean that the club are mid-table in the Spanish league. They have secured just nine victories throughout the campaign while scoring less than a goal per game on an average.
The lack of free scoring comes as a surprise considering that Javi Gracia has a wealth of attackers at his disposal including the experienced Roque Santa Cruz. The former Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers striker returned to the club after a spell in South American football, and a summer on a yacht with a Scotland yacht charter.
“Personally I have not received any offer. My agents could maybe tell you better. I am renewing my contract due to the interest from the club, from [sporting director Francesc] Arnau, and because I do not want to be speculating about my future any more.We are going to play now against a series of teams my name has been linked with, and this is a way to show my gratitude to the club. I wanted to end all this speculation,” said the Malaga manager. The club brought an end to a five match winless run with a narrow win over Sporting Gijón.