Derrick Pereira quits his position as the head coach of DSK Shivajians

DERRICK PEREIRA, the head coach of DSK Shivajians FC, has quit his post in the club, reports suggest.

The 54 year old former Salgaocar defender, who has been a prominent top division coach in India since 2000, was appointed by DSK Shivajians to take charge in their first ever foray into top division football when they entered the I-League as a corporate team out of Pune in 2015-16.

The season did not turn out very well for the new entrants, and the club finished at the bottom of the table by the end of the end of the league. Although they were spared from relegation due to having immunity from it as a corporate club, they could not qualify for the Federation Cup where only the top 8 clubs from the I-League could play.

The Shivajians had constructed a team on rather short notice, but featured some well-known names in the Indian football circuit like Subrata Paul, Nikhil Kadam, Israil Gurung and laterc Sandesh Jhingan. But the team's composition seemed to be off most of the time as the season progressed poorly, and the stands at their home ground Balewadi Stadium remained mostly empty.

It is not clear whether the lack of success on and off the field is what led Pereira to quit the club, but it is rather unlikely for the veteran coach to leave his post so early. In the past, he has had long spells as a coach at Vasco, Mahindra United and Pune FC. His last appointment at Salgaocar saw him spend 2 seasons there. His parting with the Shivajians has fuelled speculation that he might return to the same club - Salgaocar - with whom he has had a long history, having spent most of his playing career in that club.