The Celta Vigo club announced on Tuesday the dismissal of coach Rafael Benitez, due to the poor results of the team, which risks being relegated from La Liga, writes AFP.
Rafael Benitez
“Rafa Benitez and his team of coaches are leaving RC Celta after eight months of absolute dedication and total commitment, during which the team did not achieve the results expected by the club,” Celta explained in a statement.
Benitez, aged 63, started his contract at Celta in June. His contract expires in 2026.
The coach who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 has stressed several times in recent weeks that he came for a three-year project, but the Galician club's poor results in the centenary year led to his sacking.
The heavy 4-0 defeat at Real Madrid on Sunday hastened his dismissal.
In La Liga, Celta is in 17th place, the first to be relegated, with 24 points, two points behind the next ranked, Cadiz.
The team from Vigo has only five victories in 28 matches in the current edition of the championship. In the Spanish Cup, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Real Sociedad.
Celta did not announce who will replace Benitez, but the Spanish press mentioned the name of Claudio Giraldez, who has trained the club's second team so far.
