Levante have appointed Juan Ignacio Martinez as their new coach for the 2011/12 season.

The Valencia club have moved quickly to replace Luis Garcia, who left to become coach at Getafe earlier this week, with Martinez coming in for one season with the option of a second if he can keep Levante in La Liga.

Martinez joins Levante from Cartagena, who finished 13th in the Segunda Division last season, and he admitted Garcia would be a tough act to follow.

He told Marca: "The difficulty in football is that you arrive at a club in a particular moment. I know that Luis has set the bar high and it will be no secret that I will be compared to him, but I have no fear. At a sporting level it is impossible to describe how I feel."

Levante finished last season in 14th under Garcia, just two points above the relegation zone, but had already secured their top-flight status with a goalless draw against city rivals Valencia in the penultimate round of games.

The club president Quico Catalan said of Martinez's appointment: "From what he has said to me he fits into our philosophy. He comes here with desire and enthusiasm to work and to deliver for this project."