Former Altetico chief Quique Sanches Flores takes charge at Espanyol
Former Watford boss Quique Sanches Flores has been appointed the new head coach of Espanyol.
Flores had guided Watford to 13th in the Premier League, as well as to Wembley for an FA Cup semi-final, only to leave at the end of the season when his contract was not renewed.
But the Spaniard has made a swift return to work, signing a three-year deal at the La Liga side after the departure of Constantin Galca last month.
An Espanyol statement released on Thursday morning read: "Quique Sanchez Flores will be the Espanyol coach for the next three seasons after an agreement between the coach and the club was reached in the last few hours.
"Espanyol is proud to hire a successful and prestigious coach to lead the first team in this new project."
Flores, who will be presented to the media on Monday, will be tasked with restoring the fortunes of a side that spent much of last season mired in a relegation battle, eventually finishing five points above the drop zone.
A former Spanish international who enjoyed spells at Valencia, Real Madrid and Real Zaragoza during his playing career, Flores went on to manage Getafe, Valencia and Atletico Madrid - where he won the Europa League in 2010 - in his homeland.
He secured the Portuguese League Cup with Benfica and drew admirers for his stewardship of Watford, becoming the first manager to keep the club in the top flight for a second season following promotion.
Speaking after the Hornets confirmed he would leave Vicarage Road, he said: "The club and me don't have the same point of view about the season. We don't have the necessary conditions to activate the clause to renew my contract so I will leave Watford as a consequence.
"I felt completely happy with this year and I have enjoyed this experience."
