Athletic Bilbao sack coach Sarriugarte after poor run

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MADRID, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Athletic Bilbao sacked coach Felix Sarriugarte on Monday after a 3-1 home defeat by Sevilla at the weekend saw them drop into the bottom three in the Primera Liga. "After a meeting today the board have decided to replace Sarriugarte as first-team coach," the club said on their Web site www.athletic-club.es. Sarriugarte was promoted from the reserve team to replace former Spain coach Javier Clemente, who was sacked in July after falling out with president Fernando Lamikiz. But the Basque club, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, have struggled again in this campaign. Lamikiz quit in September under pressure from fans and was replaced by Ana Urkijo, but the side still have only one victory to their name in the league and are out of the King's Cup. They lie 18th in the table, three points off bottom club Gimnastic Tarragona who sacked their coach, Luis Angel Cesar, on Sunday. Spanish media have linked former Alaves boss Jose Manuel Esnal, better known by the nickname Mane, to the vacancy at San Mames.