Omonia boss Toni Savevski was fired last night following their humbling 2-0 defeat at the hands of bitter rivals APOEL, a result which saw them drop out of the top four this season.
A statement on Omonoia’s website last night said that the board had decided that “under the circumstances there has to be an immediate change in the technical leadership. As a result, it has decided to end the cooperation with coach Toni Savevski and assistant coaches Sophocles Sophocleous and Christoforos Kolas.”
The FYROM coach, who was into his second stint at Omonia following a spell between 2002 and 2004, was seen as largely responsible for the defeat with his team selection and for failing to inspire his players both before and during the game.
Second half strikes from Gustavo Manduca and Nuno Morais condemned Omonia to their third league defeat of the season and they are now six points adrift of joint-leaders AEL and Apollon Limassol. Omonia had two penalty shouts waved away by referee Demetris Masias but they were chasing the game against their cross-town opponents for the large majority of the derby.
Media reports surfaced in the aftermath of the defeat that even those club officials who have been rooting for Savevski since he arrived to take over last season, had been having second thoughts.
The former AEK Athens midfielder was given his marching orders before Saturday’s early kick-off against title rivals Anorthosis Famagusta at the GSP Stadium.
Savevski had failed to win a victory against any of the sides currently above them in the table.
“We didn’t play well,” he admitted after the game. “Once again, we started badly and although we improved as the game went on, we were left exposed at the back and vulnerable to counter attacks especially from [Stathis] Aloneftis. There is still a long way to go [in the title race]. APOEL have just claimed the bragging rights. We must regroup and come out improved against Anorthosis.”
The Omonia supporters club had unleashed a scathing announcement yesterday calling on the club board, coaching staff and the players to take responsibility for the “shameful performance” of the team.
It is not just on the pitch where Omonia are suffering. The club is currently battling to curb soaring debts with chairman Stelios Mylonas publicly stating that they are well over €10m in state dues and outstanding payments and salaries.
Mylonas is also fighting a losing battle in keeping the supporters on his side particularly after he cancelled the club’s general elections earlier this month because one of the candidates for the chairmanship was forced to withdraw after claiming that he had received death threats.
The Nicosia businessman cancelled the elections and instead called on an emergency meeting in which his desire to stay on as club chairman until May next year was not objected to by the other club members.
Cyprus Weekly
