West Brom sporting director reveals the one thing he would’ve changed about Carlos Corberan exit

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West Bromwich Albion sporting director Andrew Nestor opened up about Carlos Corberan’s decision to leave the club midway through the season.

Corberan left West Brom in December 2024 after just over two years at the club to return to Spain and take charge of the then-struggling Valencia.

The Spaniard was a hugely popular figure at The Hawthorns and had punched above his weight with limited resources.

His departure on Christmas Eve has since led to the return of Tony Mowbray, who has continued the good work and kept the Baggies in Championship play-off contention.

For the first time though, Nestor opened up on Corberan’s sudden exit.

• READ MORE: ‘Normality’ – West Brom ace shares brutally honest Tony Mowbray and Carlos Corberan comparison, there’s a big difference

West Brom regret timing of Carlos Corberan exit

Losing a talented manager like Corberan is always a wounding experience, but even more so during a busy run of fixtures.

News of the 42-year-old’s move to Valencia came out of the blue on Christmas Eve and two days before West Brom were in action.

Although Nestor gave the former Albion boss his blessing, he told the Training Ground Guru podcast that it happened at the worst time.

“I wouldn’t say it was a shock,” he admitted. “I had spoken to Carlos about it when I first came in. He was perceived, and rightly so, as this really bright up-and-coming Head Coach.

“There’s always going to be interest in someone like that. His name popped up every time there was a coaching change, whether it was teams in Championship or Premier League. We knew that there would eventually be real interest in him and it might be something that he feels is good for him.

“Valencia makes a lot of sense given that he’s from the area. So it’s kind of hard to argue with wanting to coach your hometown team. It’s certainly difficult to go through a transition like that in the middle of a season though and the timing was difficult.

“It was on Christmas Eve and you have a match on Boxing Day and then three matches very quickly thereafter, and then you’re heading into the January window. The timing could have been a lot better.”

• READ MORE: Five things Tony Mowbray is telling West Brom players to do in games as club targets Premier League return

West Brom’s record with and without Carlos Corberan this season

Not much has changed in all honesty since the Spaniard signed a three-year deal with Valencia.

West Brom were seventh on Christmas Eve – the exact same position they currently occupy in the table.

Under Corberan, the Baggies had won more games and scored 10 more times than they currently have done. They also lost less games than they have under Mowbray, despite playing more games.

Overall, there isn’t much to separate the two at all and given the current boss’ long-standing affiliation to the club – everyone at West Brom wants him to be the man to guide them back to the big time.