Deportivo crisis deepens as Paciencia departs
Reuters - Monday 11 February 2013, 10:57
Relegation-threatened Deportivo La Coruna slipped deeper into crisis on
Monday when coach Domingos Paciencia quit after only six games in charge
and was replaced by Fernando Vazquez.
"Domingos
Paciencia is no longer the coach of Deportivo," the Galician club, who
are bottom of La Liga and lost 3-0 at home to Granada on Saturday, said
in a statement on their website.
The
club later unveiled Vazquez as Paciencia's replacement on a contract
until the end of the season that will be extended by a year if Depor
avoid relegation.
Vazquez has
wide experience coaching in Spain and has had stints at clubs including
Real Mallorca, Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano and Celta Vigo.
Vazquez told a news conference Depor needed to win eight of their remaining 15 games to secure their top-flight status.
"I am arriving at a difficult moment but I am convinced that it's not impossible," he said.
Paciencia,
a former Sporting Lisbon coach, was appointed to replace Jose Luis
Oltra after he was sacked at the end of December despite leading the
club back into the first division after they were relegated in the
2010/11 season.
The
Portuguese got off to a promising start with a 1-0 victory at home to
Malaga and a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad but suffered a run of four
defeats, culminating in the reverse to fellow strugglers Granada.
Depor
have fallen a long way since winning La Liga in 2000 and blazing a
trail in Europe and are one of many Spanish clubs who have been forced
into administration due to crippling debts.