Lotina leaves Deportivo following relegation

Published May. 24, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Coach Miguel Angel Lotina has left Deportivo La Coruna after the Spanish club was relegated to the second division for the first time in 20 years.

Lotina leaves the Galician club after four seasons having failed to keep it in topflight football following Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Valencia. Deportivo dropped despite reaching 43 points, a league record.

Lotina says in a letter to fans, ''I wish I could have left some other way, with the team in the first division, but we were unable to do it.''

Deportivo won one league title and two Copa del Reys during in its most recent stint in topflight Spanish football. It joins Almeria and Hercules in the second tier from next season.