Deportivo fires coach Jose Oltra

LA CORUNA, Spain (AP)

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Deportivo La Coruna fired coach Jose Oltra on Sunday with the promoted side languishing in last place in the Spanish league.

Oltra guided Deportivo back from one campaign in the second division last season, but was unable to carry over its success into the top flight. His attacking style proved particularly misguided as Deportivo leads the league with 39 goals allowed.

''We have decided that now is the ideal moment to make a change,'' said Deportivo President Augusto Cesar Lendoiro, adding that the club hoped to name a successor ''within the coming hours if not tomorrow.''

Lendoiro also said that the indebted Deportivo would finalize its petition for bankruptcy protection during the coming week.

The Galician club located in northwestern Spain is three points from safety with only two wins in the first 17 rounds. Its next game is on Jan. 5 when it hosts Malaga at Riazor stadium.

Oltra is the third coach to be dismissed this season in Spain's top division.

Deportivo announced they hired former Sporting Lisbon manager Domingos Paciencia to replace Oltra.

Deportivo said on its club website Sunday that it had hired the Portuguese coach hours after club president Augusto Cesar Lendoiro announced that Oltra had been fired.

Paciencia was let go by Sporting in February after a run of poor results.