San Lorenzo fire coach as fans demand change
Reuters - Monday 21 November 2011, 16:36
Struggling San Lorenzo, one
of Argentina's traditional 'Big Five' clubs, have fired coach
Omar Asad following another home defeat at the Nuevo Gasometro.
The Saints lost 1-0 to promoted Union on Sunday, their fifth
defeat in eight home games in the Apertura championship.
San Lorenzo are 15th in the 20-team table with 15 points
from as many matches and have taken one point from their last
four games.
"I came here with a lot of hope, it didn't work out. This is
going to be a thorn in my side," Asad told a news conference on
Monday.
"I'm calm because I tried and we worked hard but we never
managed to get it right," added the 40-year-old who joined from
Ecuador's Emelec five months ago after cutting his coaching
teeth at Argentine side Godoy Cruz.
Former striker Asad, who helped Velez Sarsfield win the
South American and world club titles in 1994, said he told club
president Carlos Abdo he wanted to continue in charge of San
Lorenzo but was told he had to go.
The table that really matters now for the Saints, who
according to media reports have a debt of more than 150 million
Argentine pesos ($35 million), is the parallel relegation
standings where they are in the bottom four.
Relegation is calculated on points averages over three
campaigns and, as things stand, San Lorenzo will need a play-off
against a Nacional B side at the end of the
season in June to try to retain their top-flight status.
ANGRY FANS
In this sense they are in a similar position to River Plate
last June when the 'Millionaires' lost a play-off and were
relegated amid scenes of violence from fans at their Monumental
stadium.
San Lorenzo supporters have been angry with their team for
weeks, their demands for more commitment turning into a chorus
of "Go, all of you" encompassing coach, players and directors.
One 'barra brava' hooligan fan attacked central defender
Jonathan Bottinelli three weeks ago after a training session.
The home match against All Boys that weekend was postponed
and played nine days ago.
San Lorenzo lost the game and Bottinelli had the misfortune
to score an own goal that gave All Boys a 1-0 victory.
Asad is the sixth coach to leave his job in the Apertura
championship, the first of two in the Argentine season.