Panaji: FC Goa took everyone by surprise when they served a termination letter to chief coach Sergio Lobera and two of his trusted assistants, despite the team being at the top of the Indian Super League ( ISL ) table with just three games left to be played.

A day after the team returned to Goa from Bhubaneswar where they scripted a 4-2 victory over Odisha FC and regained the top spot with 30 points, a clear two-point lead over Bengaluru FC, the management summoned Lobera to the club headquarters in Porvorim on Friday and informed him of the decision. Assistant coach Jesus Tato and conditioning coach Manuel Sayabera, both loyal to Lobera, are also on their way out.

“The decision has been taken to ensure that the team’s campaign in the ISL is not derailed. The management was worried about the direction in which the team was headed. There were plenty of internal issues which were distracting the team from its goal of finishing on top and winning the ISL trophy,” a source who tracked the development told TOI on Friday.

After serving the termination notice on Friday afternoon, the decision was communicated to players as well. But a training session scheduled for later in the day was hastily cancelled after Lobera and his staff refused to sign the termination letters, instead seeking time and advice from his legal team.

Technical director Derrick Pereira is expected to take over as interim coach on Sunday.

According to sources, tension within the dressing room was simmering for a while and Lobera had the axe hanging over his head for almost a month. The club management finally decided to bite the bullet after the win against Odisha, a game that saw Goa concede two goals despite taking a 3-0 lead at the breather. Goa had also allowed Kerala Blasters (2-0 up) and Chennaiyin FC (3-0 ahead) to claw their way back, even though they eventually managed to pick up full points.

“If not now, the decision could never be taken. Goa play their next two matches at home and there are three weeks for things to settle down before the team plays the next game away (against Jamshedpur FC on February 19),” said the source.

Lobera was appointed as coach in 2017 at a time when the team, under Brazilian legend Zico, had finished at the bottom of the ISL table in 2016. Lobera guided Goa to a semifinal appearance in his first season, final in the second and also won the Super Cup, the club’s first trophy.

Under Lobera, Goa played an attractive brand of football , which won fans over. Goa scored the highest number of goals for the last two seasons with Spanish striker Ferran Corominas finishing as the top scorer for two successive years.

FC Goa play their next two matches at home with games against Hyderabad FC (February 5) and Mumbai City FC (February 12).

