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Roma coach Garcia sacked

Xinhua, January 13, 2016 Adjust font size:

Roma coach Rudi Garcia stepped down on Wednesday after the team only collected one win in its last 10 matches in all competitions.

Roma president Jim Pallotta, the first American owner in Serie A, said, "This is the right time for a change."

So far, Roma, an expected title favorite, slipped down to fifth place in the Serie A table, seven points behind leader Napoli.

Garcia, a Frenchman who had coached Lille and took the rein of Roma in 2013, led Roma to finish runner-up in two seasons.

As no immediate replacement was announced, Roma youth club coach Alberto De Rossi was asked to run the following training session.

Roma will face last-place Hellas Verona in Serie A on Sunday.

Surviving the group stage of the Champions League following an unimpressive 0-0 draw with BATE Borisov, Roma will next face Real Madrid in the round of 16.

Luciano Spalletti, 56, who had guided Roma to win two Italian Cups and an Italian Super Cup, is widely expected to replace Garcia.

Spalletti had coached Zenit St. Petersburg for five year before being fired in March 2014.

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