Quique Flores dismisses rift with Ronald Koeman as Watford prepare for Southampton clash

Quique Flores managed Valencia between 2005 and 2007

WATFORD boss Quique Flores has no issues with Ronald Koeman - the man who took his old job at Valencia.

 

Flores comes face-to-face with Koeman for the first time when the Dutchman brings his Southampton side to Vicarage Road on Sunday.

Valencia sacked Flores back in 2007 and Koeman was installed in the hot-seat just four days later.

 

At the time there were claims then PSV Eindhoven manager Koeman had been lined up to take Flores' job before he had even been dismissed.

But Flores said: "We respect all the managers in the world. Football is like this. I respect the career of Koeman as a player and a coach.

 

"I played against him when he was at Barcelona. It's a good experience to come up against him. I don't think how his work was at Valencia. I look at how he does his work now. 

"That's the important thing for me. 

"How he is working in the Premier League and Europa League - that is only interesting to me."

 

Premier League new boys Watford have picked up two points from their opening two games.

Flores wants to break their duck against the Saints and said: "We want to get our first win. We are ready to get off the mark."

Meanwhile, Flores has dismissed reports linking Liverpool outcast Mario Balotelli with a move.

Flores added: "We haven't talked for any moment about Mario. It's more a possibility for the media than for the club. We have had no conversation."