Soccer-Troubled Prandelli loses patience with Valencia players

MADRID, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Valencia coach Cesare Prandelli gave an insight into his struggles to change the fortunes of the ailing La Liga club in a fiery and bizarre news conference on Friday. The Italian has collected just six points and one win from seven games since succeeding Pako Ayesteran in October and his side are 17th in La Liga going into Saturday's game at Real Sociedad Prandelli refused to take questions in the news conference ahead of the game, instead giving a monologue lasting less than two minutes in which he questioned the attitude of his players and threatened to sell anyone not committed to the cause. "I'm angry and disillusioned, I've spent two months working hard to make the team grow and tomorrow I want to see the players willing to sweat and suffer for this shirt," Prandelli said. "Those that want to stay here need to prove they deserve to. I want to see who has the right attitude and who doesn't and anyone who doesn't have the right character can leave, anyone who isn't happy here can leave." Prandelli's appointment was initially hailed by local media as a positive break from the club's recent trend of hiring inexperienced coaches such as Pako Ayesteran and Gary Neville, who have the two worst records in the club's history. The former Italy manager made a winning start in his first game against Sporting Gijon but since then his side have followed the same miserable path as under their last two coaches. Prandelli, 59, blamed the players for the poor results which continued last week then they conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 2-2 with Malaga. "It's not a problem of tactics, it's a problem of personality," he added. "We've spent two months working hard and now is the time to show who wants to stay and who doesn't." (Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Ed Osmond)