Spain coach Aito Garcia Reneses has stepped down from his post

[L8DBACK]

Spain’s basketball coach quits silver medalists
6 hours, 27 minutes ago

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain coach Aito Garcia Reneses has stepped down from his post after leading the world champions to silver at the Beijing Olympics last weekend, the Spanish Basketball Federation said on Tuesday.

“I am grateful for the opportunity the Federation president gave me to direct the team at the Olympics, but I want to train throughout the season, not just for two months a year,” Garcia Reneses said on the Federation website ( http://www.feb.es ).

Spain lost 118-107 to the United States in a thrilling Olympic basketball final on Sunday.

Garcia Reneses had only been in the post three months after being brought in to replace Pepu Hernandez, who was sacked at the beginning of June.

The 61-year-old exercised a get-out clause in his contract and has been linked in the local media with a return to club management in the Spanish league.

[mvblair]

Garcia's job was too hard. He did a wonderful job by winning the Silver, but giving him only 3 months was ridiculous.

Who knows what would've happen with Pepu. The Spanish Federation should be ashamed for firing him.

[Manatax]

Garcia's job was too hard. He did a wonderful job by winning the Silver, but giving him only 3 months was ridiculous.

Who knows what would've happen with Pepu. The Spanish Federation should be ashamed for firing him.

The Aito-Unicaja Malaga deal was closed before the Olympics. Every basketball fan in Spain was aware of this by then, and also the Spanish Federation. Aito was only a temporal substitution.

[mvblair]

The Aito-Unicaja Malaga deal was closed before the Olympics. Every basketball fan in Spain was aware of this by then, and also the Spanish Federation. Aito was only a temporal substitution.

That makes the Spanish Federation even worse, in my opinion. They appointed an interim/temporary coach for the most important basketball tournament? That's awful. Aito had a chance at the Gold. He did. But Pepu had a better chance. How could the Spanish Federation put a substitute into the line-up for the last game when they could've had Pau?

[Pistol Pete]

Strange things happening in Spanish basketball. I think the change of coach prevented them from showing their real potential in the Olympic games. We will see who they hire next.

[Saskibaloia]

Strange things happening in Spanish basketball. I think the change of coach prevented them from showing their real potential in the Olympic games. We will see who they hire next.

If they didn't change coach who here thinks that they could have won gold?

[Pistol Pete]

If they didn't change coach who here thinks that they could have won gold?

They might've won it. It just doesn't make sense to change a coach who has been working with the NT for quite some time and had considerable success with the team. In the Olympics, Navarro and Calderon, who should've been the leaders, were not used the way they should've been by the coach. Instead, he went for his "beloved" Ricky and Rudy from Joventut. I think it's stupid that such things are happening during the Olympic games.

[rikhardur]

This whole deal with the NT's coaching job was a great mess. I guess we all generally agreed that the federation was wrong through the process. I mean, they fire Pepu and decide to put Aíto in and he just plays the games of the tournament and that's it? Pepu did all the dirty work and then Aíto goes to claim a silver medal and steps down? I have all the sympathy for Aíto and his knowledge about basketball, but this behaviour of his is just too much. I certainly don't respect him as much as I used to. Aíto just left a world champion and a silver medalist orphan...