Manuel Preciado dies 24 hours after being appointed Villarreal coach
Former Sporting Gijon coach Manuel Preciado has died of a heart attack, aged 54, BBC reports.
His death comes just 24 hours after he agreed a deal with relegated Villarreal to take over for the 2012-13 season.
Preciado was sacked by Sporting Gijon in January after twice earning them promotion into Spain's top flight.
As a player Preciado was a defender who began his career at Racing Santander and also appeared for Linares, Mallorca, Alaves, Ourense and Gimnastica.
After retiring in 1992, he began coaching with Gimnastica in the mid-1990s and also had spells in charge of Racing B, Racing Santander, Levante and Murcia before joining Sporting Gijon in 2006.
He led them into the Spanish top division in his second season and spent six years with the club.