RESCUE ACT FOR ADAMS
FORGOTTEN man Tony Adams was yesterday appointed head coach of struggling Spanish side Granada until the end of the season.
The former England and Arsenal captain became the club’s sporting director 11 days ago.
But he has now replaced Lucas Alcaraz who was sacked after a 3-1 home defeat by Valencia on Sunday left them 19th in La Liga and seven points from safety.
Adams, 50, has been working there since November and has close links with Granada’s owner, the Chinese businessman Jiang Lizhang.
His first game will be at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday and he will be in charge for the final seven games of the season.
Adams, whose last job was coach of Azerbaijani club Gabala in 2011, also acts as vice-president of his DDMC Football Club Management Company.
A Granada statement yesterday read: “The club has total confidence in Tony Adams as head coach until the end of the season.”
He retired in August 2002 having led Arsenal to four championships and three FA Cups and began his managerial career at ®
Retired
® Wycombe in 2003 before briefly taking over at Portsmouth.
Adams left Pompey in February 2009 having picked up 10 points from 16 games and, after more than a year in Azerbaijan, he left with Gabala placed seventh in the league.
Last August Lizhang bought Granada for £32m from Watford’s owners, the Pozzo family, and named Adams sporting director at Chinese Super League side Chongqing Dangdai Lifan.
After moving to Spain, Adams said: “We want to be a mid-table team with a world-class academy developing Spanish players, with world-class training facilities.”