Marko Micovic is no longer the coach of Balzan FC.
The Serbian coach on Sunday informed the Balzan FC committee that he was stepping down from his role with immediate effect.
Micovic took the decision following Friday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat to Senglea Athletic that left the Reds sixth in the standings, ten points adrift of Premier League joint-leaders Hibernians and Valletta.
Vladimir Simovic, Balzan’s technical director, confirmed the news to the Times of Malta and said that Micovic decided to quit his job as he felt that Balzan needed a change at the helm that would help the club reach the objectives set for the season.
“Marko Micovic has tendered his resignation as coach of Balzan FC,” Simovic told the Times of Malta.
“The defeat to Senglea Athletic was hard to fathom for him and it left him with no other option than to leave for the good of the club.
“Marko feels that the team needs to make some changes at the helm that will act as a wake-up call for all the players in the first team squad. Hopefully, having somebody new in charge of the team will give the team the opportunity to refocus and put itself in a position to challenge for the goals set for this season.”
The defeat to Senglea Athletic was a huge blow for Balzan’s hopes of challenge for a top four position in the Premier League and left a bad taste on the club’s top hierarchy following all the investment made during the January transfer window.
Last month, Balzan brought in Bosnian defender Aleksandar Kosoric and midfielders Steve Pisani, who was signed from Floriana, and Paul Fenech, who started the season on the books of Birkirkara FC.
That investment was earmarked not only for a strong showing in the league but also to try and challenge for the FA Trophy, where Balzan have reached the quarter-finals where they will play Tarxien Rainbows later on this month.
No decision has been made on who will be Micovic’s replacement at Balzan but it is understood that president Anton Tagliaferro will sit down with the other committee members and technical staff on Monday to decide on who to appoint as first team coach.
In the meantine, the Balzan squad will be under the charge of Micovic’s assistants Velibor Kopunovic and Alejandro Pantoja.