ISL 2018-19: FC Pune City sack Miguel Angel Portugal after disastrous start to campaign
The fans of the Indian Super League have high expectations from the clubs they support. When a team does not perform well, the head coach is the person who usually has to bear the maximum brunt during the situation.
FC Pune City is languishing at the bottom of the ISL table after playing three matches. After a 1-1 draw against the Delhi Dynamos in their inaugural match of the campaign, The Stallions lost 0-2 to Mumbai City FC and received a 0-3 drubbing from Bengaluru FC in their second and third match, respectively.
As expected, questions were raised. As a result, the Rajesh Wadhawan Group and Arjun Kapoor co-owned side have officially relieved head coach Miguel Angel Portugal of his duties.
The former Spanish footballer had previously coached Delhi Dynamos to a dismal 8th place finish in the 2017-18 ISL season. The Lions had five wins, four draws, and nine losses in their 18 matches under him.
Also Read: Report: FC Pune City fire coach Miguel Angel Portugal after poor start to ISL 2018-19 season
A report was doing the rounds on 25th October itself that Miguel will be sacked but the official paperwork was still pending. The Pune-based franchise took to Twitter to give the official announcement earlier in the day.
Pradyum Reddy, who was the Technical Director of the club, has now been named as the Interim Coach. the 42-year-old has enjoyed managerial stints in the past.
Shillong Lajong got a promotion to the I-League back in 2011 under his guidance. He also has vast experience working as an assistant as he was with Bengaluru FC from 2013 to 2016. It will be interesting to see how things pan out in the coming stages for the Maharashtra-based side.
There are worrying signs for FC Pune City as their go-to man Marcelinho is yet to fire as well.
Do you think it was a wise call by FC Pune City's management to relieve him of his duties so soon or should they have waited for a few more matches? Do share your opinions in the comments section below.