Madrid, Feb 23 (IANS): Bottom of the table Granada sacked coach Jose Ramon Sandoval on Monday.

Sandoval was fired in the wake of his side's 2-1 home defeat to Valencia on Sunday which left them bottom of the BBVA Primera Liga with just 20 points from 25 matches this season, according to Xinhua.

"The results obtained in recent weeks have obliged the club to take this difficult decision," explained the club in a statement published on its official website.

The former Rayo Vallecano and Sporting Gijon coach joined Granada at the end of last season, helping the club take 10 points from a possible 12 in its last four games to avoid relegation on the last day of the 2014-15 season, but a run of five defeats in the last six games has seen them return to the bottom of the table and cost last season's hero his job.

Former Albacete and Cadiz coach Jose Gutierrez has been named as the new Granada coach until the end of the season.