Gary Neville to join England 3 days late after another Valencia loss
Valencia manager Gary Neville has decided to postpone joining England for its upcoming friendlies after his side's loss to Celta Vigo on Sunday, a defeat which left Los Che just six points outside of La Liga's relegation zone.
Neville made clear when he took the job in December that he would continue to honour his commitments as an assistant coach for his country's national team, especially with Euro 2016 looming. England faces Germany on March 26 and the Netherlands on March 29, but a third straight loss in the league gave the former Manchester United defender no choice but to hang back in Spain for at least three more days.
Related: Neville 'totally committed to Valencia' despite England duties
"Obviously it's not an ideal situation, in respect to the fact that before I came here I was the assistant coach for the national team of England, with 60 million people, but I understand the two or three million people in Valencia need my attention this week," Neville told reporters, according to Reuters.
"The last thing I want is for people here to say Gary Neville lacks commitment, because it's not something that's ever been said about me in my life.
"Obviously I have a dual role, at this moment in time. I've been England coach for three-and-a-half years and I've loved doing that. These are friendly matches, very important matches for England, but I also have three very important days here coaching the players."
Despite tumbling out of the Europa League last Thursday, Valencia's performance against Athletic Bilbao had convinced Neville that his players were capable of producing positive football. The weekend's setback, however, seemed to erase any forward momentum.
The crowd at the Mestalla even called for Neville to leave. He has only managed to capture three league wins since taking the reins, and the run-in isn't any easier; just eight matches remain in La Liga, with fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona, Villarreal, and Real Madrid along the way.