Sevilla appoint Machin as coach as Girona linked with Arteta

Madrid (AFP) – Sevilla have appointed Pablo Machin as coach after the Spaniard led newly-promoted Girona to a 10th-place finish in La Liga. 

Girona achieved promotion from the Segunda Division for the first time under Machin’s leadership and then ended the campaign in the top half last term. 

They must now replace Machin and have been linked with two of Pep Guardiola´s assistant coaches at Manchester City, Mikel Arteta and Domenec Torrent.

Arteta was in the running to succeed Arsene Wenger at Arsenal earlier this month, only for former Sevilla boss Unai Emery to be given the job.

Machin has signed a two-year contract at Sevilla, who snuck into the Europa League qualification spots after sacking Vincenzo Montella in April. 

Joaquin Caparros oversaw the upturn as caretaker but did not want the job full time and has instead become the club’s director of football. 

“Pablo Machin will be the new manager of Sevilla FC,” a Sevilla statement said on Monday. “The club has reached an agreement for the next two seasons, with the coach joining after three and a half years of success at Girona FC. 

“He joined Girona at the end of the 2013/14 season to save them from relegation and eventually achieved both promotion to the Primera División and consolidation with the elite.”