ESP – Mateo replaces Aito at Unicaja

MALAGA (ACB/Euroleague) - Unicaja Malaga named Chus Mateo as their new coach on Tuesday.

A former assistant at the club when Sergio Scariolo was in charge, Mateo has replaced Aito Garcia Reneses following the veteran coach's removal from the post on Monday night.

The new man will immediately be put to the test with a Euroleague Top 16 game coming up on Thursday at home to Caja Laboral.

Mateo, who turns 42 on January 23, had been serving as an assistant coach at Fuenlabrada to Salva Maldonado and his departure comes as a blow to the Madrid outfit.

Fuenlabrada announced in a statement: "Basketball Fuenlabrada has agreed to the departure Chus Mateo as a coach of the club.

"Mateo has a great career opportunity in Malaga and asked Basketball Fuenlabrada yesterday about the possibility of being released from the contract that bound him to our club until the end of the season.

"Basketball Fuenlabrada, considering the excellent relationship with Mateo and his great human and professional work throughout his stay in Fuenlabrada, has agreed to let him leave..."

While serving as a head coach is different to being a number two, Mateo appears to be an ideal choice.

In addition to working in the ACB, he has also been an assistant to Scariolo, who is Spain's national team coach.

Unicaja are traditionally one of the leading clubs in Spain and they had one of the best coaches in ACB history in Aito, who also coached Spain to a silver medal at the Beijing Games in 2008, but the outfit decided to make a move after Unicaja failed to reach the Copa del Rey.

At the half-way point of the Spanish season, Unicaja are in 10th place with eight wins and nine defeats.

Fuenlabrada, who suffered a heart-breaking 76-75 setback to Real Madrid on Sunday, are in ninth place at 9-8.

FIBA