Brazil's Chapecoense fires coach after 5 games without a win
SAO PAULO (AP) Brazilian club Chapecoense has fired its coach after a run of five games without a victory in the country's top flight.
The club announced on Tuesday that veteran Vagner Mancini will be replaced by his assistant, Emerson Cris, until a new coach is hired.
Mancini took over this year with a mission to rebuild Chapecoense after the team's jet crashed in Colombia last year, killing his predecessor Caio Junior and 19 players, among other passengers.
The decision to fire Mancini was made after a 3-3 draw with Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, which left Chapecoense with 14 points from 11 games, and 15th in the 20-team championship.
Mancini's rebuilding was designed to retain the Santa Catarina state championship title and to avoid relegation from Brazil's main competition.
