Melita yesterday named Spaniard Francisco ‘Patxi’ Salinas Fernández as their new coach.

Salinas, who played for Athletic Bilbao and Celta Vigo and also made two appearances for the Spanish national team in 1988, is a newcomer to Maltese foot-ball but he’s been a member of the Melita nursery’s coaching staff for the past few months.

Melita have been searching for a new coach after Martin Gregory stepped down in the wake of the team’s 5-0 defeat to Mosta last week. The Amateurs, promoted to the Premier League as Division One champions last season, are second bottom in the table with four points from 10 games.

Top Melita officials drew up a list of potential candidates for the coaching job this week but their choice utlimately fell on the 48-year-old Salinas who has obtained his coaching badges in his native Spain.

The presence of two Spanish players in Melita’s squad, midfielder Manuel Ramon Sierra Camacho and striker Jose Luis Negrin, is also likely to have played a part in the club’s decision to appoint Salinas as Gregory’s successor.