Sharjah have parted company with coach Paulo Bonamigo following the club’s poor start to the season.
“Sharjah Club and coach Paulo Bonamigo have agreed to amicably end their relationship after two and a half years,” Sharjah confirmed on their Twitter account.
The Brazilian’s last match in charge was Saturday’s disappointing 3-0 home to defeat to Emirates, which dropped Sharjah to second from last in the Arabian Gulf League. So far this campaign, they have won only once in the league, defeating bottom side Al Shaab 2-0 last month. They have lost six times.
Sharjah’s record in the Arabian Gulf Cup is not much better, with a solitary victory from five matches ending their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals.
Bonamigo joined the club in July 2013 and was tasked with restoring the five-time UAE champions to among the country’s elite sides. They had just gained promotion to the top tier after one season in Division One.
A former Al Shabab and Al Jazira manager, Bonamigo represented a shrewd appointment, however after guiding Sharjah to seventh in his first season, the club struggled throughout 2014/15 to eventually finish one place above the relegation zone. Bonamigo spent 28 months at the club.
He is the second managerial casualty this season, following Shaab’s dismissal of Tarek El Ashry last month. Walter Zenga, the Italian who has coached Al Ain, Al Nasr and Al Jazira, and most recently Sampdoria, was reported to be close to agreeing terms with Shaab, although the vacant position at Sharjah could seem a more attractive option.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @NatSportUAE
