MADRID, Dec 5: Spanish giants Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo was sacked on Sunday just over 11 months after taking charge of the nine-times European champions. The 53-year-old Brazilian, who was Real’s fifth coach in the space of two and a half years, was dismissed following an emergency board meeting at the club’s Bernabeu stadium, a day after the team’s lacklustre 1-0 win at home to Getafe.

Real Madrid Television said that reserve team boss Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, would replace Luxemburgo as first team coach on a caretaker basis.

Luxemburgo was appointed at the end of December 2004 in place of Mariano Garcia Remon when the club was in fifth place in the Primera Liga, 13 points behind arch-rivals Barcelona.—APP