Real Madrid CF have parted company with coach Fabio Capello despite the Italian guiding the club to the Spanish title at the first attempt in his second spell in charge.

Board meeting
The 61-year-old's future had been considered at a board meeting this afternoon, with Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatović confirming the decision was unanimous. Capello, who had two years left on his contract, had been criticised for his tactics earlier in the campaign but had appeared to have won over many of his doubters with Madrid's magnificent late-season form that saw them take the Primera División for the first time in four years. Mijatović did not reveal the identity of his possible successor.

Title triumphs
Capello, who also won the title in a previous one-year stay at Madrid in 1996/97, has a fine reputation. Under him, AC Milan claimed four Serie A crowns in five seasons between 1991 and 1996. They also lifted the 1994 UEFA Champions League, beating FC Barcelona 4-0 in the final, and reached two more finals. Capello then had that first spell at Madrid before returning to Milan. Two terms later his next stop was AS Roma, where he won the league again before heading to Juventus in May 2004. Serie A titles followed in 2004/05 and 2005/06, although Juve were subsequently stripped of both championships in the Italian sporting fraud trial.