Al Jazira’s dismal end-of-season form that saw them crash out of the AFC Champions League and slip to fourth in the Pro League has cost Caio Junior his job as coach, Sport360° understands.

The Brazilian, who only arrived in Abu Dhabi in March following the departure of Franky Vercauteren, and his coaching staff were told their contracts would not be renewed at a team meeting on Tuesday.

The futures of the staff already in place prior to Caio Junior’s reign, namely goalkeeper coach David Coles, performance analyst Andrew Butcher and medical service director Nick Worth, remain unclear.

It is understood that contract extensions for the trio are on the table, but there may be a reluctance to sign with a source at the club informing Sport360° that wages and bonuses had not been paid by the 2011 Pro League champions for the past two months.

Neither the players nor coaching staff have yet received their bonuses for winning the President’s Cup final at the end of April.

The 3-1 win over Bani Yas at Zayed Sports City on April 23 proved to be the highlight of Caio Junior’s 82-day stay at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium. Jazira also qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in their history, but once there they failed to take their chance against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, losing on penalties after extra time.

The Brazilian was criticised not only for using all of his substitutions before the extra period but also for the physical condition of the players which saw them pegged back despite taking the lead with only seven of the 120 minutes remaining.

It seems the club’s Asian exit coupled with a run of four straight league defeats, culminating in the embarrassing final-day home loss to Dubai, was enough to convince the Jazira board to take action.

Ironically the Brazilian had originally been brought in as the club’s board had lost confidence in predecessor Vercauteren’s ability to win big games.

The news of his demise comes less than a week after Ricardo Oliveira told Sport360 that he thought his compatriot had done enough to land the job full time.

“I think he has shown what he can do for the club,” Oliveira said.

While Jazira have definitely started their search for a new boss, it remains to be seen whether they will need a new goalkeeping coach too.

Former Portsmouth and West Ham keeper coach Coles returns to the UK this Monday, and although he has been offered a 12-month extension to his current deal, it is understood he has received several offers to work in England, including one from a Premier League club.

 

 

* For breaking news, follow us on @Sport_360 or find us on Facebook.