Aussie soccer club where sprint superstar Bolt trialed sacks coach after major match loss

SYDNEY, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Australian soccer Club Central Coast Mariners, which had offered Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt a chance to become a professional player, has sacked head coach Mike Mulvey after a major defeat during the weekend.

The Club issued a statement on Sunday that it had "parted ways with Head Coach Mike Mulvey, effective immediately".

Mulvey joined the Club during the Hyundai A-League 2018/19 pre-season. His stint was marked by the Club's decision to extend a trial for eight-time Olympic gold medalist Bolt in his bid to play professional soccer following his retirement from the track in 2017. The Club offered the 32-year-old sprint superstar a contract last October but both sides were not able to agree on its financial and other terms.

On Saturday, the Mariners lost 8-2 to New Zealand's Wellington Phoenix in an A-League match, leaving the Australian Club with a low of seven points from 21 games.

With six games remaining in the Hyundai A-League 2018/19 season, the Club said it will issue a statement "when a decision has been made regarding who will lead the team during this period".