Why Burnley and Preston North End must react as ex-West Brom boss gets sacked | OneFootball

Burnley and Preston should consider moves for former West Brom boss Carlos Corberan following his recent dismissal from Valencia

Former Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan has been dismissed from his role as head coach at La Liga side Valencia following a string of poor performances, as a return to the Championship ought to be on the cards for the Spaniard.

Ex-Huddersfield and West Brom boss Corberan has been sacked from Valencia with the club sitting rock-bottom after just five games, scoring once and conceding ten, including a 5-0 home defeat to Barcelona.

Corberan, 43, was appointed at the Mestalla in December 2024, and guided the club away from the relegation zone in his first half-season in charge, and then to a ninth-placed finish last campaign.

Despite this, Valencia's poor start to the new season has seen controversial Singaporean-based chairman Peter Lim dismiss Corberan from his position, as well as his coaching staff and CEO of football, Ron Gourlay.

Why Carlos Corberan remains an attractive option for Championship clubs despite Valencia's dismissal

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Corberan began his coaching career in the Cypriot lower leagues before joining Leeds United's Under-23 side in 2017, and following the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa as first-team coach, was promoted to the Argentine's coaching staff.

He'd join Huddersfield in 2020 and guided the Terriers to a 20th-placed finish in the Championship in his first year in charge, but would mastermind a third-placed finish in 2022, missing out on Premier League promotion after defeat in the play-off final to Nottingham Forest.

A brief stint with Olympiacos preceded his stint with West Brom in the English second tier, guiding the Baggies to ninth- and fifth-place finishes, respectively, before joining Valencia in 2024.

The Spaniard, at 43, has a track record of guiding teams with a lack of funds to excellent finishes in the Championship, and though his spell with Valencia didn't go as planned, he still demonstrated his capability to work within constraints, as these FLW takes a look at two second-tier sides that must consider his appointment.

Burnley

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Burnley, following relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season, find themselves in a bit of bother.

The Clarets remain winless after their first seven Championship games under Nicky Hayen, as the pressure continues to increase on the Belgian, who was only appointed a few months ago.

Having already shipped 16 goals this campaign, Burnley have already equalled the tally they achieved less than two years ago when they were last in the division, as things simply haven't clicked under the former Haverfordwest and Genk boss.

It would be no surprise to see a change in managership sooner rather than later at Turf Moor if this form continues for much longer, as the Clarets should have some alternatives lined up, and following his recent dismissal, Corberan could be the perfect fit.

The Spaniard has only ever managed teams with limited budgets, and whilst Burnley doesn't exactly fit the mould in that sense, Corberan knows what it takes to galvanise a squad low on confidence, and could be an excellent fit in Lancashire.

It would be hard to suggest that Burnley's squad and talent level are reflective of a bottom-placed Championship side, as the Clarets may need a new head coach to turn things around.

Corberan has rarely been out of work for long and could fancy an immediate return to coaching, and given Burnley's recent Premier League status and current underperformance, they ought to be an attractive option for him.

Preston North End

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Preston North End are officially the first Championship club to sack a manager this season, having parted ways with Paul Heckingbottom after just one win and six defeats in their opening seven league games.

The Lilywhites were not shy about splashing the cash during the summer window, bringing in the likes of Alfie Devine, Johnny Kenny, Stanley Mills, and Harry Clarke for over a combined £10 million, but these investments are yet to pay off.

A 1-0 home defeat to Lincoln City on Saturday spelt the end of Heckingbottom's reign at Deepdale, having spent over 100 games in charge of the club.

The search for a new manager begins instantly for Preston, who will be weighing up all their options carefully before deciding on the former Sheffield United boss's successor.

With the news of Corberan's dismissal coming to the fore, this should pique the interest of the Lancashire-based outfit, who would be remiss not to explore the possibility of bringing the Spaniard to the club.

Interestingly, aside from Kelham O'Hanlon's brief caretaker stint in charge of Preston in 2002, the club have never had a person from outside of the United Kingdom in charge, as now it could be time to make that change.

Corberan has displayed his ability to get the best out of a struggling group, and his appointment could be a huge coup for Preston, who simply must get their next choice of head coach spot on.