PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain (AFP) - Argentine Hector Cuper signed a three-year deal with struggling Spanish first division side Real Mallorca.
Cuper's task is to turn around the fortunes of the club currently second from bottom of the Primera Liga.
In order to attract Cuper back to the Balearic island, club president Mateo Alemany is believed to be paying Cuper around one million euros a year, although neither party would confirm the financial details of the deal at a press conference here Tuesday.
"It's the first day of recovering our dreams and the start of a project which should, in the next three years, put us back at the top of Spanish football again," said Alemany.
Cuper takes over from Benito Floro who was sacked last week.
The former Valencia and Inter Milan coach previously coached the club for two seasons between 1997-99 season and is still a revered figure at the club.
He guided Mallorca to the final of the Spanish Cup in 1998 and to the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup the following year in their first continental campaign.
Cuper arrives with compatriots Mario Gomez and Juan Manuel Alfona, as his assistant and physical trainer respectively.
11/02/2004 - 16:48 GMT - AFP