Torino sack Novellino and replace him with De Biasi

AFP - 16 April 2008 22:20

Italy´s struggling Serie A side Torino on Wednesday sacked `Walter Novellino, seen her in 2006, and replaced him with Gianni De Biasi, the latter resigning from his post with Spain´s Levante, Torino chairman Urbano Cairo said.

ROME (AFP) - Italy's struggling Serie A side Torino on Wednesday sacked `Walter Novellino and replaced him with Gianni De Biasi, the latter resigning from his post with Spain's Levante, Torino chairman Urbano Cairo said.

Novellino, 54, only took over last summer after five years at the helm with Sampdoria but only six wins this season in Serie A have left the club perched just four points above the drop zone following a run of five defeats in six games.

De Biasi, 51, arrives from Levante, where he only took over last October and who are marooned at the bottom of the Spanish table amid large debts which have led to a struggle to pay staff wages.

De Biasi has already coached Torino twice.

In 2006, he took the club to promotion only to be sacked on the eve of the following season.

He returned in February last year and kept the side afloat but then had to move aside, this time for Novellino, the 13th top-flight coach to bite the dust this season.