Polish champions Wisla sack manager after slump

Sacked Wisla Krakow coach Robert Maaskant bid the Polish champions farewell on Tuesday after a slump in form that included a Europa League drubbing by Fulham and a loss to hometown rivals Cracovia.

"I didn't get an actual leaving gift from the players. The best gift was the look on their faces when they said goodbye, and what they told me in the dressing room," the Dutchman was quoted as saying on Wisla's website.

Maaskant got the chop after the weekend's league action saw Wisla suffer a humiliating 1-0 loss in the high-profile Krakow derby.

Cracovia, who escaped relegation by a whisker last season and are locked at the foot of the table this term, had not won the so-called 'holy war' for 28 years.

Even though the result still left Wisla sixth in Poland's 16-club first division, Maaskant had been on a knife-edge since last week's 4-1 defeat by Fulham in their Europa League fixture in London.

The thrashing left Wisla bottom of Group K, behind Denmark's Odense, Fulham and Dutch club Twente.

Wisla's board was unforgiving, even though Maaskant's squad has been plagued by injuries that have sidelined stalwarts such as Israeli-Polish midfielder Maor Melikson.

Wisla are among the powerhouses of the Polish league, notching up nine titles in the past 10 years and finishing second three times in the same period.

Maaskant, 42, arrived from Dutch club Breda in August 2010 and steered Wisla to the 13th title in their 105-year history last season.

He has been replaced by his former assistant manager, former Poland international Kazimierz Moskal, 44.

Maaskant's praise of Krakow was seen as one of the reasons why Holland picked the picturesque southern city as their base during the 2012 European Championship, which will be hosted by Poland and neighbouring Ukraine.

"We will be able to train in excellent conditions at the Wisla stadium, which has a great pitch," the 1988 champions' manager Bert van Marwijk told Internet magazine Voetbal International last month.

On Monday, England also announced they would be based in Krakow, while Italy are expected to pick the city as well.