Marbella FC sack both coach and sporting director in major reshuffle

Marbella FC have appointed David Movilla as their new head coach in place of Carlos de Lerma following a string of disappointing results that have undone their ambitions of stability and progress in the third tier.

The club have not yet announced a replacement for sporting director Jesús Sánchez, who joined in the summer and oversaw the current squad's construction.

The Costa del Sol side, who only narrowly avoided relegation from Primera RFEF last season, were expected to improve this campaign after signing key players such as Luis Muñoz and Rodri Ríos.

However, they have suffered three defeats in their last four matches and remain without an away win. While their home form at the Marbella Football Center has been positive, the team's struggles on the road ultimately cost De Lerma his job.

De Lerma, nicknamed 'El Puma', guided Marbella to safety on the final day of the 2024-25 season but had been under pressure for several weeks.

The final nail in the coffin came on Sunday as Alcorcón punished their inefficiency in front of goal.

Rafa Llorente opened the scoring on the counter before Luis Alcalde levelled just before the break.

The home side rarely threatened after the restart, and the visitors sealed a 2-1 victory through Vladys Kopotun's late strike.

Movilla, De Lerma's successor, brings extensive experience at this level, having managed over 200 matches in the division. He previously led Barakaldo and Zamora to promotion play-offs and last season guided Sabadell to promotion to Primera RFEF.