Manuel Pellegrini has been named as the new coach of La Liga strugglers Malaga. The former Real Madrid and Villarreal boss takes over from Jesualdo Ferreira, who was sacked on Tuesday just a few months into a three-year contract due to a dismal start to the season.

Sunday's 2-1 home defeat to promoted Real Sociedad - Malaga's fifth loss in five games at La Rosaleda this season - was the end of the road for former Porto coach Ferreira, who leaves with the Andalusian club in the bottom three with seven points from a possible 27.

Pellegrini was in charge at Villarreal for five seasons from 2004 and, although he did not lead them to any silverware, established the Yellow Submarine as one of the leading teams in Spain. The Chilean's work at El Madrigal did not go unnoticed and after Florentino Perez returned to the Real presidency in the summer of 2009 it was Pellegrini that the capital club turned to.

However, despite €250m worth of investment on the team - including the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Xabi Alonso - Pellegrini could not secure the silverware that Perez and Real craved, and his tenure lasted just one season. In La Liga, Real enjoyed a phenomenal campaign, picking up 96 points and scoring 102 goals in 38 games, but that was not enough to pip defending champions and arch rivals Barcelona, who finished three points above them.

It was a less flattering story in the cup competitions though, and Pellegrini found himself under growing pressure after Real were humiliatingly knocked out of the Copa del Rey at the first hurdle by third tier Alcorcon, going down 4-1 on aggregate. More costly, though, was Real's exit from the Champions League.

With the final being held at their Bernabeu stadium, Madrid had placed great stock in going all the way but they were knocked out at the last 16 stage for the sixth successive season, Lyon their conquerors on this occasion. Pellegrini, who was on a two-year contract, would not get a second bite of the cherry as Madrid swooped for the hugely successful Jose Mourinho.

Although he did not pick up any silverware at Villarreal or Madrid, Pellegrini previously enjoyed plenty of success in South America, winning trophies in Chile, Argentina and Ecuador during spells at River Plate, San Lorenzo, Liga de Quito and Universidad Catolica. The 57-year-old`s first match in charge of Malaga is set to be tomorrow's trip to fifth-placed Espanyol.