GIJON, Spain – Struggling Sporting Gijon has fired coach Manuel Preciado after five-plus seasons with the Spanish club.
Sporting has lost four of five games and is 19th in the league, three points from safety.
Sporting president Manuel Vega-Arango says the decision wasn’t easy, but that the club came first and “that’s football.”
Preciado was the longest standing coach with a topflight Spanish club after taking over for the 2006-07 season.
Sporting was promoted in his second season but has barely avoided relegation since, with the 54-year-old Preciado leading the Asturian club to a 10th-place finish last season.
Assistant Inaki Tejada will coach Sporting on Sunday against Osasuna.