HORACIO Rodriguez thanked the players and the fans for the support they have given him and his coaching team, to thank everyone - the players, the staff, the supporters for the way they have received us, the people who have worked with us. We were people they did not know, and for the coaching staff it was their first taste of English football.

"I want also to thank the press for their support. Without knowing us, you respected us and our technical abilities. We are people of football and we hope we have shown Oxford our work."

Rodriguez added: "When we arrived, the chairman told us the priority was not to let Oxford United be relegated. This was the first appeal made to us.

"We could soon see this, so thanks also to the players for making sure that didn't happen.

Now Rodriguez, fitness trainer Pablo Fernandez and translator Giuilliano Iacoppi have been told not to take the team for the final game of the season, against Chester at the Kassam Stadium tomorrow.

"The chairman asked the technical staff not to take the team on Saturday", Rodriguez added. "Ramon will be here to say goodbye to everyone, to the fans and to the members of the press.

"We are sad that this has come to an end.

"He felt that since we were not going to be here next year, it was better to start from new, to get somebody else."