Italian soccer team Parma names Cuper as coach

ROME, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Italian Serie A strugglers Parma on Tuesday named former Inter coach Hector Cuper to replace Domenico Di Carlo, sacked after Sunday's 2-1 home defeat against Sampdoria which left the club in the drop zone.

Cuper, 52, coached Inter from 2001 to 2003, losing the 2002 scudetto on the last day of the season and a 2003 Champions League semifinal against city rivals Milan.

Inter finished the season second to Juventus and smarting at the defeat by Milan in that Champions League semi at the San Siro - on the away goals rule.

Before moving to Inter, Cuper coached Valencia in 1999 and lost two straight Champions League Finals against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich - the second on penalties.

Cuper, a former Argentina defender, is now faced with the task of saving Parma, which is 17th in Serie A, a point away from safety with eleven games to go.

Di Carlo was the ninth Serie A coach to be axed since the start of the season.