Kolkata: East Bengal on Thursday unveiled Dutchman Eelco Schattorie as their head coach a few hours after snubbed Armando Colaco made an unceremonious exit from the I-League football club.
“They should have told me earlier, it hurts as I don’t want this to happen to anyone,” the 61-year-old I-League winning former Dempo coach told reporters after the morning practice, bidding an emotional goodbye to the red-and-golds.
“The Armando Colaco era is over, hope the club rises to success. I’m a professional, that’s why I came to training today,” Colaco added, well aware that Schattorie would be named his replacement in the evening.
“As anticipated, East Bengal named the former United SC coach Schattorie as Colaco’s replacement in the evening citing reasons that they had to part ways with the Goan on “medical grounds.” Terming it “unfortunate”, East Bengal general secretary Kalyan Majumdar told a packed news conference: “He (Colaco) had sent me several texts about his ill health, but football is high intensity sport, you cannot continue like this.
“We’re extremely sorry as we could not continue with him.” (PTI)