SANTANDER, Spain (AP) — Racing Santander says coach Hector Cuper has agreed to leave the last-place club after only 13 games.
The 56-year-old Argentine’s contract had been due to expire at the end of the season but the team is 1-6-6 in the Spanish league.
Cuper said Tuesday he left “to avoid generating negative news that would affect the players” and “to not provoke a situation that distracts from the essential objective” of beating Villarreal on Saturday.
Santander says Juan Jose Gonzalez, Fede Castanos and Pablo Pinillos will lead the team until a replacement is hired.
Cuper, who previously led Valencia to back-to-back Champions League finals, is the second coach in La Liga to be let go this season after Mallorca’s Michael Laudrup.
