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Struggling Zaragoza sack coach Aguirre

Cash-strapped Zaragoza, who followed several other top-flight sides into voluntary administration in June, also presented four new members of their board of directors on Friday as they seek to get their finances back under control.

"Real Zaragoza have agreed with Javier Aguirre to cancel his contract as first team coach," the club said in a statement on their website.

"The situation the Aragonese team is in required an urgent change of course, which is why this agreement was reached," the statement added.

Sports daily Marca reported that Zaragoza president Agapito Iglesias will travel to the Spanish capital later on Friday to meet Michel's agent and try to close a deal with the former Real Madrid and Spain player.

Michel's spell at Getafe ended when they decided not to extend his contract beyond the end of last season.

"The players will get through this," Aguirre was quoted as saying in local media on Friday.

"I would have liked to stay to the end but I understand that these things happen in football."

In a separate statement, Zaragoza said the new board would seek to "professionalise and modernise" the club and introduce more transparency following criticism of Iglesias and his fellow directors.

Zaragoza have won Spain's King's Cup six times, the last coming in 2004, and beat Arsenal to win the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1995.