'The manager novelist': What happened to Pepe Mel after bizarre and ill-fated four month West Brom spell

After the whirlwind campaign under Steve Clarke, who led Albion to eighth in the table, their highest Premier League era finish - they were struggling.

A dreadful run of results saw Clarke sacked in late 2013 - and Albion going through a lengthy and drawn out process to find his replacement.

In the end they found one - but it was a headscratcher.

Former Real Betis manager Pepe Mel was thrust into a top flight relegation battle. Mel had overseen successful spells at clubs in Spain - but when he was handed the Albion role it took many by surprise.

At the time, you could say it was a bold but potentially smart move given his credentials and the style of football he played.

Looking back, it was a disaster from the start.

With the language barrier a real issue and Albion's players struggling to adapt to his way of playing, there were rumours at the time that he was almost axed after six games.

He remained and Albion picked up 15 points from 17 games, just enough to preserve their top flight status.

In the years that followed, ex-Albion players have repeatedly told stories of how assistants Keith Downing and Dean Kiely basically ran the side in the final few weeks, due to the language difficulties.

Although it was a disaster that ended in Mel being sacked for, what Albion said were events 'on and off the field', it was a testing time for Mel for a number of reasons.

Two months into his time at Albion, striker Nicolas Anelka was sacked by Albion after he announced on social media he was to quit the club in the wake of the 'quenelle' goal celebration scandal.

And he also had to address the aftermath of an altercation between Saido Berahino and James Morrison - following a 3-3 draw with Cardiff.

It was a spell that will only really be remembered for just how bizarre it was - as Albion and Mel 'parted company' four months after his appointment.

But what happened to the Spanish manager whose Albion tenure was destined for disasters?

The managerial author

It was well publicised at the time that Albion were not only getting a Spanish football manager - they were getting a novelist too.

Usually a manager's focus is his side, and there is no saying that wasn't the case for Mel, but as well as being in the game he was an accomplished author.

Would he go back to that and leave football management after his Albion spell? The answer was no, well not entirely anyway. 

He returned to Betis later in the year on a deal until the end of the season - and he showed why he had a decent reputation in his home country.

He led Betis to the Segunda Division title - and remained at the club until January 2016.

Since then he has spent time at Deportivo and Malaga, as well as a spell in Greece and back in Spain with Almeria.

None of the above lasted more than 25 games, he did go on a 128 game spell with Las Palmas.

In September last year, he was still going in management as he signed a one year deal at Tenerife - but as was the case with other spells, it was short lived and he was sacked two days before Christmas.

So what next? Well, the man with one of the worst win ratios in West Brom history may be out of a job in football - but his passion for writing does not seem to have diminished.

Last year, he brought out a novel in Spain and online searches show he has had another one out in 2025. He was an eccentric and a unique character for a football manager.

But as far as England and Albion go, his back story, the chain of events at Albion and the tales told since are remembered more than the results on the pitch at The Hawthorns.