Betis sack coach Sanchez after six months

BARCELONA: Real Betis have sacked coach Victor Sanchez del Amo after six months in charge with two games remaining in the season, the La Liga side said on Tuesday as they made a second managerial change of the campaign.

Betis guaranteed their survival in Spain’s top flight for a second consecutive season, yet the board turned against Sanchez, who succeeded Gustavo Poyet in November, after embarrassing 41 and 4-0 defeats to Alaves and Leganes respectively.

The 4-0 thrashing on Monday at the hands of lowly Leganes prompted a damning response from president Angel Haro and proved to be Sanchez del Amo’s last game in charge.

“There is only one word for this, shameful, it’s unforgivable for the Betis badge to be trodden on like this,” Haro told reporters on Monday.

“Our professionals need to reconsider what they are doing, I expected a little more love for the shirt in these last few games and I can see that the team is not competing.”

Sanchez won seven, drew five and lost 13 of his 25 league matches in charge.

Betis are one of nine teams to have won the La Liga title and are one of the best supported clubs in Spain but a combination of financial mismanagement and misjudged coaching appointments have seen them fall on hard times.

The Seville club were relegated for a third time in 14 years in 2014 and although they returned to the top flight a year later they have continued to underperform, with managers typically having a short lifespan.

Assistant coach Alexis Trujillos has been named as Sanchez del Amo’s successor for the remaining two games of the campaign, becoming the club’s seventh coach since 2013.

Betis are currently 15th in the standings on 37 points, 10 clear of the relegation zone. Reuters