Re: Jornada 30 - Segunda división

Real Zaragoza sack Paco Herrera as manager

Real Zaragoza have decided to relieve manager Paco Herrera of his duties on Monday morning, after his side were soundly beaten at Ponferradina on Sunday, their seventh straight game without a win.

Following relegation from the Primera last season, when former Celta Vigo manager Paco Herrera was appointed this summer, Real Zaragoza hoped they had the right man at the helm, to guide the Aragon club back to the Spanish top-flight at the first time of asking.

The team hardly got off to the best of starts however, only achieving their first win of the season, in the fifth round of fixtures. Since then, form has been inconsistent and Herrera has continually been under pressure.

Whilst automatic promotion was the primary aim, a comfortable position amongst the play-off places was the minimum expectation. With the team having failed to meet those requirements and currently lying 12th in Liga Adelante, the club decided that after the defeat against Ponferradina stretched their run to seven games without victory, enough was enough.

Real Zaragoza director general, Jesús García Pitarch, communicated the decision to Paco Herrera and the squad at an emergency meeting on Monday morning.

Prior to the club making an official announcement, they are now searching for a replacement manager, though according to El Periodico de Aragon, B team coach Emilio Larraz could make the step upwards.

Real Zaragoza are currently four points behind the promotion play-off places and eleven behind the top two teams for automatic promotion. Perhaps more worrying though, is that with the defeat against Ponferradina and teams packed extremely tightly in the Segunda, they’re now just two points above the relegation zone.

Re: Jornada 30 - Segunda división

Víctor Muñoz to be named new manager of Real Zaragoza

Real Zaragoza have reached a verbal agreement with Víctor Muñoz to take over the managerial duties for the remaining two months of the season after former manager Paco Herrera was sacked on Monday.

Muñoz penned his new deal on Tuesday evening and will take over training on Wednesday morning, in a deal that will see him remain as manager through the 2014-15 season.

Muñoz is expected to be formally presented by the club on Wednesday afternoon, as he embarks on his second tour with the Aragonian club.

In his first spell with Zaragoza, from 2004-06, Muñoz lead them to win the Copa del Rey in 2004 and Spanish SuperCopa the same year, which would be the last trophies Zaragoza would win.