Former Dutch international Frans Thijssen will take over as interim coach of the Brisbane Roar after the reigning A-League champions dumped mentor Mike Mulvey.
Roar managing director Sean Dobson has announced that Thijssen will face the media in Brisbane alongside captain Matt Smith at lunchtime.
Mulvey, last season’s coach of the year, became the first A-League coach axed this season when he paid for his team’s dreadful start to their title defence.
The Roar have five losses and one win from their first six matches.
Dobson announced Mulvey’s sacking on Sunday evening, saying it followed a board review of the club’s off-season activities – presumably including disappointing recruiting following some big departures – as well as the team’s season start.
Roar CEO Sean Dobson told SBS “We made the decision to part company with Mike Mulvey based on the football style and philosophy of the club.
“Those are the key tenets in terms of how we approach the game. The strength of the club off the field in terms of the support from chairman Chris Fong and the Bakrie Group means we can make a hard decision such as this for the benefit of the club.
“It’s about looking to the medium and the long-term and not having a regard for the financial implications … we accept the responsibility that comes with these decisions and just want the fans to continue to support the lads out on the field.
“They have been putting in every single shift and they are hurting the same as everybody else. The boys need the support and we all believe we, as a club, can turn things around this season.
“We think our squad is good enough but we are keeping an open mind on possible signings and will see how things unfold in the next few weeks.”
Mulvey’s departure has proved a shock to meny, after two successful seasons at the club.
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