Lithuanian Toplyga side FA Šiauliai have announced the departure of head coach Mantas Kuklys by mutual agreement following the club’s disappointing run of results in the league.
The decision comes after Šiauliai’s 1-3 home defeat to Banga in the 25th round, a result that left the club rooted to the bottom of the Toplyga standings with just 13 points.
Kuklys, who only retired from professional football recently, took charge of his hometown club in April after replacing Latvian coach Jurģis Pučinskis, who also departed the club earlier this year.
During his spell in charge, Kuklys oversaw 18 competitive matches. In the Toplyga, Šiauliai recorded two wins, three draws and ten defeats, while the team enjoyed a successful run in the Lithuanian Cup, reaching the semi-finals without suffering a defeat.
In a farewell statement, Kuklys thanked the club’s management for their trust and expressed his disappointment at being unable to deliver better results.
“I want to sincerely thank the club’s management for the trust they placed in me and for giving me the opportunity to coach my hometown’s first team. I also want to thank all the yellow-and-black supporters, who both supported and criticised me – and that criticism was deserved. I regret only one thing: that I let down the people of my hometown and was unable to achieve the results we all wanted. Thank you to everyone who was part of this journey, and see you again at the stadium.”
FA Šiauliai have confirmed that assistant coach Dovydas Lastauskas, who joined the coaching staff in July, will take charge of the team on an interim basis.
Source: https://siauliufa.lt/mantas-kuklys-palieka-fa-siauliai-vyr-trenerio-pareigas/
