Aussie football club Central Coast Mariners sacks coach

Australian football club Central Coast Mariners, which had offered Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt a chance to become a professional player, has sacked head coach Mike Mulvey after a major defeat during the weekend.

The club issued a statement on Sunday that it had "parted ways with Head Coach Mike Mulvey, effective immediately", reports Xinhua news agency.

Mulvey joined the club during the Hyundai A-League 2018/19 pre-season. His stint was marked by the club's decision to extend Bolt's trial for the eight-time Olympic gold medalist in his bid to play professional football following his retirement from the track in 2017.

The club offered the 32-year-old sprint superstar a contract last October but both sides were not able to agree on its financial and other terms.

On Saturday, the Mariners lost 2-8 to New Zealand's Wellington Phoenix in an A-League match, leaving the Australian club with a low of seven points from 21 games.

With six games remaining in the Hyundai A-League 2018/19 season, the club said it will issue a statement "when a decision has been made regarding who will lead the team during this period".

--IANS

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