FEBRUARY 4 - SPAIN, the world basketball champions, have appointed Italian Sergio Scariolo (pictured) to lead their team through until the London 2012 Olympics, it was announced today.

 

The 47-year-old will combine his new duties with his current role coaching Russian club Khimki, which he joined just over a month ago.

 

Jose Luis Saez, the president of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), said: "We are very grateful to Khimki for their willingness to reach an agreement, which without doubt will be of benefit to all parties."

 

Scariolo, who has been coaching since he was 19 and whose first international success was guiding Italy to the World Military Championship in 1985 when he was only 24, already has extensive experience of working in Spain.

 

Between 2000 and 2002 he was the head coach of Real Madrid, guiding them to the national title in his first season and being voted coach of the year.

 

He returned to Spain in 2003 to take over Unicaja Malaga, lifting them from 17th to fourth and qualifying for the EuroLeague.a ,

 

The post of Spain coach had been vacant since August following Aito Garcia Reneses's decision to step down after steering the nation to silver at the Beijing Olympics, where they were beaten in the final by the United States, whose team was made up of NBA players.

 

But their preparations had been overshadowed by a racism row after a photograph in an advert appeared showing the players using their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese.