MADRID, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- La Liga strugglers Elche on Sunday named Fran Escriba as their new first-team coach until the end of the season.
Escriba replaces Jorge Almiron, who resigned in the wake of Friday's 3-1 defeat to Celta Vigo which left Elche second from bottom of the league another without a win in their last 16 games.
The decision sees the 55-year-old return to the scene of his greatest success as a coach after he led Elche to promotion to La Liga and then kept them in the division only for the club to be relegated due to financial issues.
Escriba has also worked with Villarreal, who he led to a fifth-place finish and qualification for the Europa League, before being sacked in his second season in charge. He also guided Getafe and Celta Vigo, the latter of which sacked him midway through last season.
Elche currently have 18 points from 21 games, but are only three points from safety and have games in hand over Valladolid, Eibar and Alaves, who sit directly above them in the table. Enditem
