Odisha FC sack head coach Kiko Ramirez

In a shocking development, Odisha FC have terminated the contract of their Spanish head coach Kiko Ramirez. The club made the official announcement on their social media handles on Friday.

The club said the decision had been 'a very difficult one' and one which the management had 'not taken lightly.' The statement said:

"Odisha FC has terminated Head Coach Kiko Ramirez's contract. This has been a very difficult decision and not one that the club owners and management have taken lightly."

"After lengthy deliberation and consideration amongst the club's technical committee, it was decided a change is needed now to give the club time to improve performances and results this season. The club would like to thank Kiko for his efforts and wishes him the best for the future. The club shall make further announcements in due course."

The decision seems to have come on the back of a string of poor performances. The Juggernauts are placed 9th on the ISL table with 13 points from 10 matches. The team has won only 1 of their last six, a match which saw the assistant coach Joaquin Sanchez take charge of the team. With the sacking, the club have now parted ways with their head coach midway through the season for the second consecutive time.

Last season, the club sacked head coach Stuart Baxter after he made an inappropriate comment in a post-match conference. The club appointed Kiko Ramirez to lead the team ahead of the 2021-22 season. The 51-year old had coached in Spain, Poland and Greece before coming to India. Ramirez's previous managerial stint was in 2019 while managing Greek first division club Xanthi.

It is yet to be seen if the club will now appoint a new coach for the rest of the season or let the assistant coach lead the team. Either way, Odisha FC will have a tough time reaching the playoffs in such turbulent times.