Manuel Preciado Rebolledo

Manolo Preciado

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Personal information
Full name	Manuel Preciado Rebolledo
Date of birth	(1957-08-28)28 August 1957
Place of birth	El Astillero, Spain
Date of death
Place of death	El Perelló, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Racing Santander
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1977–1982	Racing Santander	115	(2)
1982–1984	Linares	68	(0)
1984–1985	Mallorca	13	(0)
1985–1986	Alavés	41	(0)
1986–1987	Ourense
1987–1992	Gimnástica
Managerial career
1995–1996	Gimnástica
1996–1997	Racing B
2000	Gimnástica
2000–2002	Racing B
2002–2003	Racing Santander
2003–2004	Levante
2004	Murcia
2005–2006	Racing Santander
2006–2012	Sporting Gijón
2012	Villarreal
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Preciado and the second or maternal family name is Rebolledo.

Manuel 'Manolo' Preciado Rebolledo (28 August 1957 – 6 June 2012) was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender and a coach.

His 15-year career was mainly associated with Racing de Santander, and he also represented five other teams, mostly in the lower leagues. As a manager he also coached with his main club but worked mostly with Sporting de Gijón, promoting to La Liga in 2008.

Preciado died in June 2012 at the age of 54, from a heart attack.

Playing career

Born in El Astillero, Cantabria, Preciado appeared in 59 La Liga matches for local Racing de Santander, split between three of his five-year spell with the club. His best-ever in the top flight was 32 games in the 1978–79 season, which ended in relegation.

After three years in Segunda División (two of them with Linares CF), Preciado resumed his career in the lower leagues, eventually retiring in 1992 with lowly Gimnástica de Torrelavega, also in his native region, at nearly 35.

Coaching career

Preciado took up coaching in the mid-90s, precisely with his last club. He led Gimnástica to the Tercera División championship (group 1). Being then recalled to Racing with its B-squad, another promotion to Segunda División B befell, now in 2002.

Preciado was called for first team coaching duties in 2002–03's top flight, helping the side retain its status in his 18 games in charge. After second division spells with Levante UD – with promotion – and Real Murcia, he returned to Santander; although the club finished just one point above the relegation zone, it managed a 2–1 win at Real Madrid, on 21 December 2005.

In the 2006 summer, Preciado switched to Sporting de Gijón. In his second season, he managed to lead the Asturias outfit to the top division after ten years, then maintain its league status, with the lowest budget of all 20 teams, after a 2–1 home win against Recreativo de Huelva, in the last round, on 31 May 2009.

Preciado again led Sporting into safety in the 2009–10 season (15th place). In November 2010, after resting almost his entire starting XI for a match against FC Barcelona two months earlier (eventually losing 0–1 away), he was accused by Real Madrid manager José Mourinho of throwing the match, and responded by calling the Portuguese a "bad colleague" and a "scumbag". After the war of words, the two teams met at the El Molinón on the 14th, with the visitors winning it 1–0; on 2 April 2011, at the Santiago Bernabéu, Sporting won by the same scoreline, becoming the first team in nine years to defeat Mourinho in a league match at home, with Preciado later commenting that "Mourinho entered our dressing room and congratulated us".

Preciado was fired on 31 January 2012 after nearly six years in charge, following a 1–5 away loss against Real Sociedad, and with Sporting ranking 19th in the league.

Personal life

In 2002, Preciado's wife died from cancer. Two years later, his 15-year-old son (one of two the couple had) was killed in a car crash. He later claimed about the incidents: "I could have shot myself or I could have carried on".

On 20 April 2011 Preciado's father, also named Manuel, died after being run over in Santander.

Death and reaction

File:Statue of Manuel Preciado.jpg

Statue of Preciado, near El Molinón.

On 6 June 2012, Preciado was appointed at Villarreal CF who, as Sporting had, suffered relegation at the season's end. Later in that day, he was found dead in an hotel in the Valencian Community, from a heart attack. He was reportedly a chain-smoker, consuming 40 cigarettes a day.

According to the Associated Press, "Preciado's sudden death led to an outpouring of emotional responses from Spanish clubs, coaches and players." Spain national team manager Vicente del Bosque, in Poland to prepare for UEFA Euro 2012, told Spanish sports daily Marca "We are all shocked. We were having breakfast and we were all taken back by the news. He was a caring person and a great sportsman. He was a man of football that was an honor to coaching." Team member Juan Mata said, "The truth is that this is difficult to digest. I always remember him smiling, as a happy person that transmitted his passion, joy and character to all his teams. Talking about him in the past tense is tough for me." Mourinho issued an open letter on Real Madrid's official website, saying in part that "He had everything I like in people and sportsmen: character, honesty and the courage to fight on." Joaquín Caparrós, manager at RCD Mallorca, said "I was so happy for him joining Villarreal. I am sure he would have taken it back to the first division. He should be a reference in the world of coaching."

In Gijón, many people met at Estadio El Molinón, the home ground of Sporting, in order to pay their respects. The same day, the city Mayor announced she would make a proposal to name a street close to the stadium "Alameda de Manuel Preciado".

On 7 June 2013, just one year after Preciado's death, a bronze statue was inaugurated near El Molinón, with the funds being arranged through popular donations.

External links

• Manuel Preciado profile at BDFutbol
• Manuel Preciado manager profile at BDFutbol