MADRID, March 12 (Xinhua) -- La Liga strugglers Celta Vigo sacked Rafael Benitez as coach and replaced him with B-team boss Claudio Giraldez on Tuesday after a string of poor results culminating in a 4-0 defeat away to Real Madrid.
The defeat on Sunday leaves Celta 17th in the league with 24 points, just two more than Cadiz, who currently occupies the last relegation spot.
"Rafa Benitez and his coaching staff leave RC Celta after eight months of absolute commitment and full dedication, but in which the team has not obtained the results expected by the club," confirmed the Celta official website.
"The club would like to express its most sincere gratitude to Rafa Benitez and his assistants for the involvement, honesty and professionalism they have shown since their arrival and the tireless work they have done. RC Celta also wants to wish them good luck and success in the future," continued the statement.
Soon after announcing Benitez's sacking, Celta named Giraldez as his replacement, without giving any details about the length of his contract.
The former Liverpool, Valencia, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Napoli and Real Madrid coach joined Celta in June 2023 after signing a three-year contract, with the club from Spain's northwest hoping for a long-term project after having had seven different coaches since Eduardo Berizzo left the club in 2017.
However, despite some good performances, Benitez was never able to get consistent performances from his side, and he further annoyed fans when he fielded a starting 11 of substitutes for their Copa del Rey quarterfinal game at home to Real Sociedad in January. ■
