Atletico Madrid fired coach Abel Resino on Friday after winning one of its past 10 games and hired Quique Sanchez Flores to replace him.
Atletico is last in its Champions League group following a 4-0 loss at Chelsea on Wednesday, and is 15th in the Spanish league.
“I gave it everything I have, but football is capricious and we are not getting the results we want,” said Resino, who was appointed in February to replace Javier Aguirre. “However, I am leaving with a clear conscience because I tried.”
The team said on its Web site late on Friday that it hired Sanchez Flores, 44, to finish out the season. He has previously coached at Getafe, Valencia and Benfica in Portugal.
But assistant coach Santi Denia will take charge of the team in Saturday’s Spanish league game against Mallorca.
Atletico sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch had talked to Michael Laudrup about replacing Resino, but the former Getafe coach was ruled out after expressing doubts about the job.
