Madrid:

Spanish champions Real Madrid fired manager Bernd Schuster and replaced him with former Tottenham and Sevilla coach Juande Ramos, club spokesman Miguel Angel Arroyo confirmed. Real sports director Pedja Mijatovic said he had held an earlier meeting with Schuster, at which the German ‘accepted’ the decision. Schuster’s head was placed firmly on the block on Sunday when Real slipped to a 4-3 home defeat to Sevilla, a result that left them in fifth place in the league. Ramos was sacked as manager of Tottenham in October but enjoys a healthy reputation in Spain based on his successes with Sevilla which included two UEFA Cup wins in 2006 and 2007. — AFP