MADRID — Villarreal has re-hired coach Javi Calleja, less than two months after it fired him.
The Spanish club said Calleja is returning to replace Luis Garcia Plaza, who was let go earlier Tuesday after winning only one of his nine matches at the helm.
Calleja was replaced by Plaza in December with Villarreal just outside the relegation zone in the Spanish league. Plaza departed with the club second-to-last in the standings, five points from safety.
"We couldn’t wait any longer. We had to make a change now," Villarreal president Fernando Roig said. "Calleja is someone who knows the squad, the club, the situation that we are in."
Villarreal lost at Valencia 3-0 in its last league game, a result that extended the team’s winless streak to eight matches in all competitions.
"I respect the decision, but I don’t agree with it," Plaza said. "I think there was time to overcome this situation."
The team’s only win under Plaza was against Spartak Moscow in the group stage of the Europa League, in his first game in charge. The team drew four straight matches after that, including against Real Madrid at home in the league, then lost three of its next four in all competitions.
It will host Espanyol in the league on Sunday.
Villarreal is the first team to have changed coaches twice this season.
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