Madrid, Dec 21 : Troubled Spanish Liga club Almeria has announced the sacking of Mexican coach Hugo Sanchez.

The final nail in Sanchez's coffin was Sunday's 2-0 defeat away to Espanyol.

Almeria have picked up just four points in their last eight matches and are fourth from the bottom.

Sanchez, 51, took over at Almeria in July 2008 after Unai Emery - the coach who had guided them to promotion and then to eighth place in La Liga - had left for Valencia.

Sanchez, star striker for Atletico and Real Madrid in the 1980s, took Almeria to 11th place last season but has been under massive pressure this term after his low-budget team made a poor start.

According to press reports Sunday, the candidates to succeed him are Romanian Constantin Galca, Frenchman Luis Fernandez, Argentine Diego Simeone and Spaniard Luis Enrique.(DPA)