Aston Villa offered Christophe Galtier the chance to come to the Premier League in 2015.
Christophe Galtier
Christophe Galtier has explained that he rejected the chance to become Aston Villa boss in 2015 simply because they approached him once the season had already got up and running, the Telegraph reports.
After bagging just one win in their opening 10 Premier League games of the 2015/16 season, the Villans parted company with Tim Sherwood in October, and it appears that Galtier could have been the man to replace him on a permanent basis.
However, the 50-year-old – who remains in charge of Saint-Etienne, having taken over in 2009 – ultimately decided to stay put. But while some may believe that Villa’s perilous position would have been the factor that put Galtier off, he confirmed that timing was the reason he decided to stay in Ligue 1.
“It was not because it was a bad season for Aston Villa,” he said, as reported by the Telegraph.
“It was because it was during the season. After I spoke to Aston Villa I was attracted to go to England. But I did not want to leave during the season and leave the club here in difficulty. I respected that and it was the right thing to do. It was impossible for me to leave.”
Although Villa’s form over the entirety of the season would suggest that few managers would have had any chance of keeping them out of the relegation zone, the club’s supporters would be forgiven for wondering what might have been had the Frenchman taken the job and not left the path clear for one of his countryman to arrive instead.
Remi Garde was in charge for around five months, overseeing just three victories and leaving shortly before relegation to the Championship was confirmed.
Remi Garde
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