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Real Madrid sack coach Luxemburgo
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-05 08:58
The former Brazil and Santos coach was appointed at the end of December 2004
in place of Mariano Garcia Remon when the club was in fifth place in the Primera
Liga, 13 points behind arch-rivals Barcelona.
He leaves the team in fourth place in the standings with 25 points from 14
games, six behind joint leaders Barcelona and Osasuna. Real have also booked
their place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Brazilian got off to a dream start at Real when his side snatched victory
in a frantic seven-minute mini-match against Real Sociedad and then went on to
win seven league games in a row.
However, his brief honeymoon period came to an end when Real were knocked out
of both the King's Cup and the Champions League, though the team recovered in
the league to finish four points behind champions Barcelona.
The club then spent nearly 90 million euros ($105.3 million) in
reconstructing the squad during the close season, bringing in Brazilian strikers
Robinho and Julio Baptista, the promising Spanish international defender Sergio
Ramos and Uruguayan duo Pablo Garcia and Carlos Diogo.
But the expensive makeover failed to bring about an improvement in the team's
performances and they slumped to defeats against Olympique Lyon, Celta Vigo and
Espanyol in the opening weeks of the season.
CAUSED CONSTERNATION
Injuries to a succession of leading players did not help Real but more than
anything it has been the side's lack of flair that has caused consternation
among directors and fans alike.
Further defeats against Valencia and Deportivo Coruna and their 3-0 thrashing
by Barcelona at the Bernabeu in which fans ended the game applauding the
opposition and whistling the home players further undermined confidence in
Luxemburgo.
Outwardly the club expressed its faith in the feisty Brazilian, but his
failure to deliver the stylish victories that the club demanded meant that his
days were numbered.
Saturday's narrow victory over modest local rivals Getafe, which was not
helped by David Beckham's second half dismissal and ended with more jeering for
the home side, finally sealed his fate.
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