Mumbai FC have sacked their manager Santosh Kashyap with immediate effect amidst a string of poor results throughout the Hero I-League season.
Santosh Kashyap, who had taken over the reins at Mumbai FC in September 2016 has been sacked by the club after a stretch of poor results in the league. The club is currently at the bottom position in the table with the threat of relegation looming heavily.
Kashyap was appointed by Mumbai after parting company with longtime coach and former player Khalid Jamil who had taken Mumbai FC to their best finish ever last season with fifth position.
Kashyap’s dismissal comes after a crushing 5-0 loss in the Maharashtra derby against Pune-based DSK Shivajians. The manager insisted in his conference that his position was safe and he had the team management’s support in spite of the poor results.
It turned out to be false as the Mumbai FC management ran out of patience with Kashyap and decided to relieve him of his duties as the manager with immediate effect.
Mumbai FC have been on a winless run in 12 matches since two wins in their opening games of the season. The two wins were followed by a streak of six losses with five of them away from their home.
A mid-season resurgence occured with spirited performances against the likes of Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC at home with 0-0 draws in both games. This was largely attributed to the signings of foreign players, especially Djelaludin Sharityar, the Afghan powerhouse defender and former Indian national Mehrajudin Wadoo.
But the away performances following these matches left nothing to be desired as Mumbai went down to Aizawl, drew against Mohun Bagan and lost badly to DSK Shivajians triggering the need for change at the helm.
Unrest with Players and Fans
The announcement also comes after the Mumbai FC management had to deal with the abrupt sacking of three players – Steven Dias, Pratik Chaudhari and Allan Dias. The players had been sacked after a fallout with Kashyap but were recalled to the team after a huge uproar by the fans in support of the players.
The manager’s relation with fans also came under spotlight as the Mumbai FC fan club, The Yellow Brigade, subjected Kashyap to constant abuse during Mumbai’s game against Minerva Punjab FC demanding the return of the three sacked players.
In the away game against DSK Shivajians in Pune, the Yellow Brigade displayed a large banner with “SANTOSH OUT” as the message making their intentions clear to the management and the team. The manager rebuked by questioning the upbringing of the fans in a statement that was met with harsh criticism across the media and football fan groups in India.
