MADRID, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Alex Corretjais was named captain of Spain's Davis Cup team, the Spanish federation said on Tuesday.

Corretja is the former coach of British ace Andy Murray and twice runner-up in the French Open and a winner of the 1998 ATP Tour World Championships.

Corretja, replacing Albert Costa, who quit on December 15, faces a major challenge with Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, who were key to Spain's victory over Argentina in the final earlier this month, both having decided not to take part in the 2012 tournament.

The 37-year-old will be captain for the next two seasons after reaching an agreement on terms with Spanish tennis federation head Jose Luis Escanuela, the body said in a statement.

"It is a privilege to captain the best team of players in the world," Corretja said in the statement, describing the post as a matter of "pride and enormous responsibility."

The federation boss said he was convinced the appointment of Corretja was good for Spanish tennis.