Irureta stays on at Deportivo

Deportivo La Coruna coach Javier Irureta is to stay with his club on an extended contract to 2002.

Valencia had wanted Irureta to come to them after their coach Hector Cuper decided to quit Spain and Join Inter last week.

The 53 year old Basque coach won the championship with Deportivo last season and famously complied a squad of fifty players.

"My agent told me of the interest of other clubs but Deportivo was always my first priority," he told reporters today.

"It is possible that I may not be earning quite as much money but there were other things that helped me make up my mind."

"I had to take into account the in-depth knowledge I have of the team, the club's plans for the future and the fact that we have qualified for the Champions League again. All of these factors counted for a great deal."