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Wednesday 22 October 2008

Steaua coach Lacatus resigns after Lyon defeat

BUCHAREST, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Steaua Bucharest coach Marius Lacatus resigned on Wednesday, a day after his team lost 5-3 to Olympique Lyon in their Champions League Group F match.

"I prefer to sacrifice myself and leave, so that Steaua won't suffer after a string of poor results," Lacatus told reporters.

"When a team loses one match after another nobody other than the coach is responsible."

The Romanian team had led 2-0 after the first 10 minutes on Tuesday and were 3-2 up at halftime before Lyon turned things round with three second-half goals.

Steaua are bottom of Group F, with one point from three matches. Bayern Munich lead the group with seven points, Lyon are second with five and Fiorentina have two.

Lacatus said he felt he had no choice but to resign.

"It's clear that I lost the support of everybody, officials, supporters and media, so there is no room for me to go on any more," he said.

Steaua owner Gigi Becali had told reporters after the Lyon defeat: "I am not firing Lacatus, I'll let him drown himself."

Last week, Steaua lost 2-0 to second division team Sportul Studentesc in the Romanian Cup and suffered a defeat by the same scoreline in a league match against Otelul Galati in a run of seven matches without a win.

Steaua lie third in the domestic league table, four points behind arch-rivals Dinamo Bucharest, who are top.

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