Coach Lotina sacked by Celta Vigo
MADRID, Spain (Reuters) -- Celta Vigo have sacked coach Miguel Angel Lotina the day after a 5-2 defeat at home to Real Sociedad left them just a point above the relegation zone in Spain.
He took charge of training on Monday morning, but was then invited in for talks with club president Horacio Gomez, who later announced the decision to dismiss the coach.
Lotina took over at Celta at the start of the 2002-03 season and led the team to fourth place in the league and qualification for the Champions League for the first time in the club's history.
Under his guidance, Celta made it through the group phase as runners-up behind AC Milan in Group H and face a second round tie against Arsenal, with the first leg next month.
But Celta's Primera Liga form has been poor all season, though, and Sunday's heavy defeat left the team in 17th place with 21 points from 21 games.
"I felt strong enough to carry on but I understand that the club had to find a way out of this situation," Lotina said.
Celta were also beaten 4-2 by Alaves in the quarterfinals of the King's Cup last week, but they have the chance to turn the tie around in the home leg on Wednesday.
"Celta Vigo will always be grateful to Lotina," Gomez said. "He will go down in history as the coach who took us into the Champions League."
