Third coach in a week falls in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 20 (Reuters) - Brazil's coaching merry-go-round claimed its third victim in a week on Tuesday when Atletico Paranaense announced they had fired Ney Franco.

"Ney Franco is leaving the club without any bad feelings and without any arguments," said football director Alberto Maculan on the club's Web site (www.atleticopr.com.br).

"It's a normal departure. Our targets have not been reached."

Franco had been in charge for 48 matches since taking over last August. He led them to a modest 12th-place finish in the Brazilian championship last year and they have taken four points from their first two games this year.

Pressure began to mount on Franco after the team were knocked out of the Copa Brasil in the first round by third-division Corinthians Alagoas in March.

"It's a decision I didn't expect," he told reporters.

Atletico Mineiro coach Geninho quit last Wednesday after his team were knocked out of the Copa Brasil at the quarter-final stage and Alexandre Gallo resigned at Figueirense on Sunday.

Gallo was then named as the new coach of Atletico Mineiro.

Brazil has one of the highest turnovers of coaches in the world and there have already been 11 changes at the 20 first division clubs since the season began in January.

Vasco da Gama and Ipatinga have already parted company with two coaches this year.

The shortest-lived coach was Romario, who lasted only five games at Vasco da Gama before storming out after claiming that club president Eurico Miranda had tried to interfere in team selection. (Reporting by Brian Homewood; Editing by Sonia Oxley)