Football
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Zdenek Zeman resigns as coach of Cagliari amid Serie A relegation battle

Zdenek Zeman has resigned as coach of Serie A strugglers Cagliari, alleging that his players were not listening to him.

Zeman, 67, was sacked by the Sardinian club last December, but returned after Gianfranco Zola failed to lead them away from danger.

However, the Czech coach has failed to win since returning and some of the club's fans stormed their training ground and attacked the players before a 3-0 defeat to Napoli at the weekend.

That was Cagliari's fourth straight defeat, leaving them without a win since beating Sassuolo on Jan. 24 -- a run of 11 games -- and nine points adrift of safety with seven matches of the season remaining.

"I gave everything I had, but now it's time for everybody to assume their responsibilities," Zeman said in quotes reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport. "By resigning, I am doing my bit. Now it's up to everybody else to do their bit. The players were no longer following me." 

Cagliari confirmed in a statement that Zeman's resignation had been accepted. "We would like to thank Mr Zeman and his assistants for the work they have done and wish them all the best for their future careers."

Cagliari's next match is at Fiorentina on Sunday while their subsequent games against Chievo and Parma could be crucial in determining their future with relegation now looking inevitable.

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