SC East Bengal parted ways with their Spanish coach Jose Manuel Diaz on Tuesday, making assistant coach Rennedy Singh the interim head coach.
“We will have to look for a new coach since Rennedy is an A licence holder. ISL regulations say coach has to be a Pro-licence holder. But we have a month to scout for the new coach,” a source said.
Khalid Jamil of NorthEast United FC and Derrick Pereira of FC Goa are two Indian Pro-licence holders who are working with ISL clubs. Diaz’s job was on the line after SC East Bengal failed to record even one win in eight matches in ISL VIII. They are now placed last in the 11-team league.
“SC East Bengal confirms that Jose Manuel Diaz and his deputy Angel Puebla Garcia have mutually agreed to part ways due to personal reasons,” the football team said in a statement.
Diaz’s stay at SC East Bengal was not a happy one. But he alone cannot be blamed for the team’s shoddy performance. The delay in the team building process, thanks to the impasse over signing of the final agreement between the club officials and investor Shree Cement, and signing of poor quality Indian and foreign players made matter difficult for him.
“Signings were done by the board (SC East Bengal team management) and not by me,” he had said after the 1-1 draw against Hyderabad FC.
Perosevic ban
SC East Bengal player Antonio Perosevic was on Tuesday handed a five-match ban and fined Rs 1 lakh by the AIFF disciplinary committee for his “violent conduct towards a match official” during their match against NorthEast United FC on December 17. The Calcutta team had lost 0-2.
