If Primera Liga side Getafe make it through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup against Benfica on Wednesday, the coach of their next opponents would do well to watch his back.

Five of the club’s six opponents in the UEFA Cup this season have changed their coaches around the time they have played the Madrid-based side.

Group opponents Tottenham Hotspur sacked managed Martin Jol after their 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane, Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Guy Luzon resigned four days before their game in Madrid while Anderlecht also changed coach before facing Getafe in the round-robin stage.

AEK Athens sacked Llorenc Serra Ferrer just 24 hours before meeting Michael Laudrup’s side in the round of 32 and Jose Antonio Camacho threw in the towel after Benfica lost against them in the first leg of their last 16 tie earlier this month.

Getafe’s last opponents in the Primera Liga were Real Murcia who sacked their coach Lucas Alcaraz and appointed Javier Clemente last week, but as on previous occasions the change had little effect as Getafe ran out easy 3-0 winners.

“I don’t think it is a good idea for teams to change coaches, but it has happened to us a lot of times this year, especially in the UEFA Cup,” Laudrup was quoted as saying on the Getafe Web site (www.getafecf.com).

“I don’t believe in the expression a new coach means a certain victory. Whenever it has happened it has been pretty good news for us so I hope our opponents continue to do it.”