FC Pune City have parted ways with Miguel Angel Portugal after just three games into the Indian Super League 2018/19 season. Technical Director Pradyum Reddy has been appointed as the interim coach until a replacement is found. The writing was on the walls with the decision all but made two days back with paperwork the only thing remaining.
Pune have had a far from impressive start to their campaign this season. In three games, they’ve drawn one and lost two. They began the season with a 1-1 draw against Delhi Dynamos before losing 2-0 to Mumbai on October 19. The final nail on the coffin came when they lost 3-0 at home to last year’s runner-up Bengaluru FC just three days later. Portugal had taken over from Ranko Popovic in the summer.
Portugal had last season been in charge of Delhi Dynamos when the club finished a lowly eighth and were out of reckoning for the playoffs midway through the season.
Between the end of last season and and this season’s start, Portugal had briefly taken charge of Spanish second division club Granada towards the end of their 2017-18 campaign.
Reddy comes with a wealth of experience as former coach of Shillong Lajong FC, whom he had led to a 10th place finish in the 2011-12 I-League season. He later joined Bengaluru FC in 2013 and served as an assistant coach under Ashley Westwood for three seasons. During this period, Bengaluru FC went on to win the league twice and the Federation Cup once.