Lotina bemoans Depor luck

Deportivo La Coruna boss Miguel Angel Lotina rued his team’s luck after they were relegated from La Liga following a 2-0 loss to Valencia.

Lotina’s side missed several chances before goals from Aritz Aduriz and Roberto Soldado sealed their fate in on Saturday.

Deportivo began the final matchday of the season in 17th, but were sent plummeting into the bottom three by Real Zaragoza’s 2-1 win at Levante.

The Spanish manager said his team was unfortunate in the last month of the season, in which they collected just five points of a possible 18.

“To summarise what happened today, I think that we were very unlucky. Neither the fans nor the players deserve this relegation,” Lotina said.

“With 43 points we are going to the second division. I do not think we deserve this.”

“Bad luck and circumstances have been the cause of our decline. Everything in the last month went against us. We thought we were safe. We have not had a drop of luck.”

Having won the La Liga crown in 1999/2000 and finished in the top half of the table in the previous three seasons, Deportivo’s relegation to the Segunda Division represents a considerable fall from grace.

Lotina said he took the majority of the blame: “I take a great deal of the responsibility. What we need now is the full support of the entire club and to return to the first division as soon as possible. The more responsibility the coach takes, the better,” he said.

“Everyone who has supported us has been great. It will be difficult when we begin our season in the Segunda.”

Next season will mark Deportivo’s first appearance in the Segunda since the 1990/91 campaign, when they finished second to gain automatic promotion to the top flight,