Real Madrid took the surprise move of sacking first team coach Bernd Schuster on Tuesday morning.

The German coach led Real Madrid to the Primera Liga season, but has struggled to repeat the success in the current campaign.

He spent the summer asking for the club to make signings to strengthen the team in midfield and defense, but the only arrival was Rafael Van der Vaart, after Real spent most of the summer in a fruitless attempt to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.

Real Madrid's 4-3 home defeat to Sevilla last Sunday left the team fifth in the Primera Liga. They have lost three of their last four Primera Liga matches and are nine points behind league leaders FC Barcelona.

Next Saturday Real Madrid must travel to the Camp Nou Stadium to play the Barcelona. A defeat would leave them 12 points off the top of the table.

Schuster stunned the press in the Santiago Bernabeu after the Sevilla game by saying it was "not possible" to beat their bitter rivals.

That declaration could have been the last straw for Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon, who himself is under pressure for his running of the club.

Juande Ramos has been named as Schuster's replacement. The former Sevilla coach, who was sacked by Tottenham Hotspurs earlier this season, has agreed a deal to coach Real Madrid until the end of June 2009.

(Xinhua News Agency December 10, 2008)