Atletico Madrid vs Hercules preview - Flores bids farewell

Posted Sunday, May 15, 2011 by PA

Atletico Madrid coach Quique Sanchez Flores will say goodbye to the club's fans in theirPrimera Division clash at home to relegated Hercules.

Sanchez Flores has revealed he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, a move which had been widely anticipated after a disappointing campaign.

The capital club lie in seventh place heading into the penultimate round of league fixtures, although they remain in a good position to secure a berth in next season's Europa League.

"It's my last game at the Vicente Calderon," Sanchez Flores said.

"The Atletico fans have always given me their whole support. It will be hard because I will experience strong emotions."

Sanchez Flores, who has been linked with a move to Sevilla, says he hopes to go out on a high by clinching a place in Europe.

"It's a sacred aspiration," said Sanchez Flores, who won the Europa League in his first year at the Atletico helm.

"It seems as if it's a failure to play it (the Europa League), but it's important and players like (Fernando) Torres left the club without knowing what it was like to play in Europe."

Tomas Ujfalusi and Diego Godin miss out for Atletico, who are level on points with sixth-placed Sevilla with two games left. Luis Perea could return.

Hercules, meanwhile, were relegated on Wednesday after a 2-2 draw with Mallorca.

The Alicante-based side went 2-0 up in the first half to raise hopes of a late escape from the drop, but Mallorca struck twice late on and Hercules return to the Segunda Division following a campaign that had promised so much more.

The players were jeered by their own fans as they left the Rico Perez after the match.

"We're all incredibly down and disappointed," coach Miroslav Djukic said.