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Luxemburgo let go by Madrid
Sunday, 4 December 2005


Real Madrid CF have sacked coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo after a year and have placed Juan Ramón López Caro in temporary charge.

Castilla experience
Club president Florentino Pérez, vice-president Emilio Butragueño and director of football Arrigo Sacchi met with Luxemburgo this afternoon. López Caro, 42, has been coaching Madrid’s B team Castilla, having led them to promotion to the Segunda División last season, and will take responsibility for the first team until a permanent appointment is made.

Disappointing spell
Time ran out for the 53-year-old Luxemburgo after yesterday's lacklustre 1-0 win against Getafe CF at the Santiago Bernabéu. Madrid have struggled for form of late, with the low point being a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of FC Barcelona last month, when the Madrid fans jeered their own players and applauded the visiting side.

Coaching changes
Luxemburgo was appointed in December 2004 to replace Mariano García Remon and was the club's fifth coach in two-and-a-half years. Vicente Del Bosque was sacked in 2003 and replaced by Carlos Queiroz. Former Spain coach José Antonio Camacho was brought in at the start of the 2004 season but walked out after three league games to leave his assistant García Remon holding the reigns.

Millions spent
Luxemburgo impressed in his first few months in charge and steered Madrid to a second-place finish last season, four points behind champions Barcelona. The club invested around €90m in new players during the close season, including Brazil forwards Robinho and Julio Baptista, Paraguay duo Pablo García and Carlos Diogo and Spain defender Sergio Ramos.

Off the pace
Madrid, who have not lifted a major trophy since winning the 2002/03 league, are fourth in the Primera División with 25 points from 14 games, six behind leaders Barcelona who were 2-0 winners at Villarreal CF tonight while second-placed CA Osasuna won 2-1 at Málaga CF. Madrid next play on Tuesday when they travel to Olympiacos CFP in the UEFA Champions League, having already qualified for the knockout stages.

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