Sporting sacks coach Paciencia

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14 February 2012-AFP

Portuguese giant Sporting has sacked coach Domingos Paciencia and replaced him with Ricardo Sa Pinto after the club slid to its fourth successive defeat at the weekend.

Benfica extends lead at top

Sa Pinto, 39, a former Sporting player, has been promoted from coaching the junior side and given a contract until the northern summer of 2013.

Sporting, which won the last of its 18 league titles in 2002, is fourth in the table but 16 points adrift of leader and city rival Benfica and has slumped since the turn of the year, winning just two of its 10 games.

Paciencia, 43 and like his successor a former Portugal international, had been at the club only since last northern summer after guiding unfashionable Sporting Braga to the final of the UEFA Europa League.

Paciencia, though, at least leaves having taken the club to the Portuguese Cup final and to the knockout stages of the Europa League, where it plays Polish side Legia Warsaw.