Pressure mounts for Krauss

Comments by Real Mallorca president Mateu Alemany after the club's 1-0 victory over Diter Zafra in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night have reinforced the theory that manager Bernd Krauss has been handed an ultimatum. After just one win and a single goal in seven league matches Mallorca are slumped in the relegation zone making tommorow's match against Seville vital to Krauss's future with the club. Local Mallorcan media have suggested Krauss will lose his job if the club fail to pick up any points at Seville's hostile Sanchez Pizjuan stadium and this looked very likely after Alemany said tomorrow's match was “extremely significant.” Mallorca's inability to score goals or to win at home has seen the pressure mount on Krauss, while a large section of fans made clear their thoughts on his abilities to lead the club when they jeered the Austrian-born manager during the side's home defeat to Zaragoza last Sunday. Krauss's saving grace may be the strong showing in the Champions League, where Mallorca lie second in Group C, three points above third-placed Arsenal. Firing Krauss at the weekend would only leave a leadership vacuum for next Tuesday's Champions League match at home to German side Schalke 04, something the board would be reluctant to do. nless, that is, they have another manager lined-up, such as former Las Palmas coach Sergio Kresic. The 54 year-old Croatian is one of the names being mentioned as a possible replacement, should Mallorca's form not improve. Meanwhile, despite hopes he would be fit for tomorrow's match, Mallorca's number one choice 'keeper Leo Franco has not flown to Sevilla to meet up with the team after failing a medical yesterday.