Porto, Portugal (My Sportsbook) - Luigi Del Neri never made it to his first competitive match as coach of Champions League holders FC Porto. The Portuguese powerhouse officially severed ties with the Italian, who was hired as the club's new coach several months back, when they terminated his contract on Monday. Reports indicate that Spanish coach Victor Fernandez will become the next Porto coach. The 53-year-old Del Neri was apparently let go because of the "methods of his training sessions" and an "inadequate tactical system." He also reportedly missed a training session this past weekend, possibly forcing the action from the Porto board. Del Neri was hired to replace Jose Mourinho in June. Mourinho bolted for English Premiership side Chelsea after securing a double (Champions League and the Portuguese SuperLiga) last season. This came on the heels of a treble (UEFA Cup, SuperLiga and Portuguese Cup) obtained in 2002/03. Del Neri, whose assistants were also released from their contracts, came over from Italian side Chievo Verona. Porto is scheduled to begin its season on August 29. They had just recently returned from the United States after playing a pair of matches on an American exhibition tour. |
