Munoz axed

Villarreal sacks coach after King's Cup shock

CASTELLON, Spain (Reuters) -- Villarreal sacked coach Victor Munoz on Wednesday a day after the club's embarrassing 2-1 defeat at third division Hercules in the first round of the King's Cup.

"It's a tough moment, especially for me," Munoz told reporters after the decision was announced by the club on its Web site on Wednesday. "It's one of the risks in football."

Munoz guided Villarreal to seventh place at the end of the 2000-01 season, his first in charge, but the club were less successful last term, staying just above the relegation places for much of the campaign before finishing 15th.

The team led Osasuna 2-0 in their opening league game this season but eventually had to settle for a 2-2 home draw.

Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.