Just two days before the crucial match against Mohun Bagan Super Giants on February 1, Mohammedan Sporting Club suffered a major setback, when coach Andrey Chernyshov resigned from his position with immediate effect.
The Russian decided to part ways with the club due to unpaid wages for the past three months. Chernyshov, who guided the century-old club to its first-ever I-League title last season, shared the news on social media.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Chernyshov held the management responsible for this. “My dear friends, fans of the club. Today is a very sad day for me,” he wrote. “I am forced to step down as head coach of MSC and my contract has been terminated for failure to fulfil the terms by the club. Circumstances force me to make this difficult decision. This is the most difficult and sad decision in my coaching career.”
He added, “We got into the ISL, the highest level in Indian football. It was difficult for us, we were criticised, but you were always with me and the team. And we survived in difficult times and became stronger. I wanted to make a strong team that in a few seasons could fight for the highest places in the ISL.
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“But to my great regret, I have to leave my post. I am a high-level professional coach. I came to your country to give a good result, but I have a contract that clearly states the conditions that the club must fulfil. As a professional, I cannot work for three months without receiving a salary,” the coach wrote.
Chernyshov attended the team’s training session on Wednesday morning at Salt Lake Stadium training ground 1, but surprisingly, he was not seen coaching the players. Instead, the 57-year-old was on the sidelines, as assistant coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo took charge of the session.
Chernyshov informed the team of his decision to resign during a huddle, after which he shook hands with everyone. It was an emotional moment for the coach, particularly when he spoke privately with Mirjalol Qasimov and Alexis, with whom he had shared the joy of last season’s I-League triumph.
“I will not now talk about the difficulties that we, the players, coaches and staff had to overcome this season. I have never been afraid of difficulties and always came out to you and journalists when you wanted to talk to me. But this cannot continue. I made this decision with tears in my eyes. But all the blame for this lies with the club’s management, which did not fulfil the terms of the contract.”
It is learnt that the club management along with investors Bunkerhill, who brought in Chernyshov as the head coach last season, will ask him have a rethink. The club officials are tight lipped on the matter.
Chernyshov’s departure only adds to Mohammedan SC’s growing troubles, both on and off the field. The club has been grappling with financial instability ever since joining the ISL, with reports of unpaid salaries circulating for weeks. A foreign player, who did not want to be quoted, said, “The club is run like a second division team as we are left in dark as when we will get our dues paid.”
It has been a disappointing outing so far for the Black Panthers in their maiden ISL season. With just 11 points from 17 games, the century old club find themselves at the bottom of the table. Pending salaries (at least two months) of the players, the management’s failure to transfer shares to the investors according the MoU, and now the resignation of Chernyshov only deepens the crisis.
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