Championship: Middlesbrough name Aitor Karanka as new manager

Middlesbrough have named former Real Madrid assistant manager Aitor Karanka as their new manager on a contract until 2016. Karanka worked with Jose Mourinho for three years at Real Madrid, but never was a manager or a head coach. A former Real and Spain defender, Karanka left Real Madrid when Carlo Ancelotti replaced Mourinho as manager in the summer. He becomes Middlesbrough's first ever non-British manager. "This is a very important day for me and I'm delighted to join a club with such big facilities and support," Karanka said. "It is my time, I know I am ready. I've worked for three years with Jose and he was supporting me every day and I learned so much. I spoke to him and he recommended me to come here - he too believes in this project." Former manager Tony Mowbray left the team last month and since then Mark Venus has been in temporary charge. Middlesbrough are currently 16th in the Championship table, eight points away of the play-off positions and just five points above the bottom three. That is a pretty poor position considering that just seven years ago Middlesbrough reached the Uefa Cup final, losing to Sevilla. Three years later Boro were relegated to the Championship. "There are no easy answers and I think I could've been accused of being 'a little Englander' with my previous appointments," explained chairman Steve Gibson. "There were 100 applications and it was about finding a first-class coach, regardless of nationality, and I believe we have. Football is a global business now and we must move with it." Middlesbrough are 33/1 to win promotion this season at Bet365, the bookmakers think they are more likely to get relegated with odds at 8/1.