Palmeiras hire Cuca as coach

Sao Paulo, March 14 (IANS) Brazil's Palmeiras soccer club has announced that it has hired Alexi "Cuca" Stival to be its next head coach.

Stival will take over the club on Monday as it battles in the Copa Libertadores tournament and fights for the regional championship in Sao Paulo state, reports Efe.

Cuca replaces Marcelo Oliveira, who was fired on Thursday after Palmeiras were beaten by Uruguay's Nacional 1-2 at home in a Copa Libertadores Group 2 match.

Nacional are the leaders in Group 2, with five points, followed by Argentina's Rosario Central and Palmeiras.

Rosario Central and Palmeiras both have four points based on five goals scored and four allowed.

Uruguay's Club Atletico River Plate are at the bottom of the group standings with two points.

Palmeiras will play Nacional in Montevideo on Thursday in Cuca's coaching debut.

Cuca has nearly two decades of coaching experience and had his best years with Atletico Mineiro from 2011 to 2013, leading the Belo Horizonte club to the Copa Libertadores title.