Cibalia sack Simunic
Monday, April 19, 2004
Article summary
Croatian strugglers HNK Cibalia have sacked coach Vieran Simunic and replaced him with Davor Mladina.
Article body
Cup not enough
Simunic had won plaudits for Cibalia's run to the Croatian Cup semi-finals. They beat league leaders HNK Hajduk Split before losing 8-2 on aggregate to NK Varteks in the last four. However, the club's last two league games - a 2-2 draw with NK Zagreb and 3-1 defeat by NK Kamen Ingrad - proved to be the final straw as Cibalia face the prospect of relegation, a point adrift at the foot of the table.
Galic shrug
Club president Bozo Galic said: "I can't say we were unsatisfied with his work, but results are the most important thing and we have only six rounds left until the end of the season. We had to do something".
Third time lucky?
Mladina returns to Cibalia after two previous spells with the club. He was in charge of NK Marsonia earlier this season, but was sacked after less than two months in November 2003.
