Laudrup to leave Getafe at end of season
Reuters - Friday 16 May 2008, 12:23
Getafe coach Michael Laudrup
announced on Friday he will leave the Primera Liga side at the
end of the season.
The former Denmark international steered Getafe to the UEFA
Cup quarter-finals in their debut campaign in Europe, a second
successive final of the King's Cup and ensured they will remain
in the Primera Liga for a fifth season in a row.
"My time at the club has come to an end," Laudrup told a
news conference.
"I'm making this announcement so that the club can have a
chance to look for a replacement and in order to express my
thanks to them for having given me this opportunity.
"This club is a very recent arrival to the first division,
but despite that people said to me when I took over here that I
had gone to a club which had great expectations.
"I replied that they were right but that it was a great
challenge and look how it turned out. I hope the person that
replaces me will be able to do even better even though the club
is going to be in the UEFA Cup again."
Laudrup, who played in Spain for both Barcelona and Real
Madrid, took charge of Getafe at the start of the season after
the club's previous coach Bernd Schuster left to take over at
champions Real.
Although his club made an inconsistent start to the
campaign, they notched up some impressive results in the league
including victories at home to Barcelona and away to Real
Madrid.
They surprised many by reaching the last eight in the UEFA
Cup, knocking out more experienced sides like Benfica, AEK
Athens on the way, and losing to Bayern Munich on the away goals
rule after a dramatic 3-3 extra-time draw at the Coliseum.
Laudrup emulated Schuster's achievement in leading the side
to the final of the King's Cup, were they lost to Valencia.
The Dane has been linked with a number of coaching posts at
big clubs this season including Chelsea.
By Simon Baskett
Editing by Miles Evans/Rex Gowar