Players' support helps keep Rambo in a job
TSW Pegasus produced an unusual candidate for save of the season yesterday as head coach Ricardo Rambo was spared the axe after his players petitioned club management on his behalf.
The entire squad signed a letter of support for the Brazilian to be kept in his post after the smart money earlier in the day had him earmarked for the chop.
Rambo was absent from yesterday's training session and the rumour mill had him on the way out to pay the price for Wednesday's substitution bungle against South China, which will probably cost the team their three hard-won points.
Assistant coaches Shum Kwok-pui and Leung Cheuk-cheung took charge of the training at Tai Po as the team prepares for Sunday's match against TM Progoal. And the word on the street was that deputy team manager and youth development director Dejan Antonic would take over.
'I was told I didn't have to attend the training session because I had lost my job,' said Rambo. 'But the management did not confirm it to me. I heard some players want me to stay and the management were in discussions about a final decision.' Speculation swirled around the team yesterday that Rambo would carry the can for the substitution blunder that saw Pegasus field seven foreign players - one more than allowed - during their 3-2 victory over the defending champions.
'I feel very sad about this because I have to take responsibility as the coach but there are also other backroom staff who need to support me on substitution matters,' he said.
Pegasus director Canny Leung Chi-shan confirmed yesterday evening they had received a letter from all the players requesting the coach should be allowed to stay.
'We understand the players' request and have decided there won't be any change to our coaching staff,' she said.
'But we know we committed a mistake [on the substitution of players] during the match, and therefore we have to introduce some internal punishment.'
The HKFA said on its website that the disciplinary committee would examine the issue on November 3. If Pegasus are found guilty of the rule violation they would forego the victory and South China would be awarded a 3-0 win.
