Madrid: Atletico Madrid have hired former Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone as their new coach to replace the fired Gregorio Manzano.
Atletico said on Friday that Simeone has agreed to a contract until the end of the 2012-13 season.
"The Argentine coach accepted the club's offer on Thursday to take over for the rest of the season and the next," Atletico said in a statement. "He'll arrive on Monday to take charge of the team."
Simeone, who played for Atletico during their last championship-winning season in 1996, will be officially presented on Tuesday.
Manzano was fired on Thursday, a day after Atletico was eliminated from the Copa del Rey by third-tier Albacete.
Simeone is a former Atletico player who also led Estudiantes and River Plate to Argentine league titles. His appointment has been expected since he quit as coach of Racing Club earlier this week, even before Mazano was fired.
Atletico have struggled since the exit of South American strikers Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan in the off-season, sitting 10th in the Spanish league and four points above the relegation zone.
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