Soccer: Kingz manager quits after horror start to season

10.30 am

Football Kingz manager Mike Petersen has resigned.

Petersen, a former Australian international, has paid the price for the Auckland-based National Soccer League side's horror start to the season.

The Kingz are bottom of the league, having drawn one match and lost three -- including a club record 2-7 loss to Perth Glory on Friday.

Petersen met members of the Kingz board last night to discuss results which club general manager Chris Turner called unacceptable.

He tendered his resignation last night, and players were told this morning, Turner told NZPA.

Petersen's resignation was accepted with extreme reluctance, Turner said.

"The board was totally and utterly supportive of him and we wanted him to continue. We felt and still feel that he is the man for the job, but he has resigned."

Turner has temporarily taken over management of the Kingz, with assistant coach Shane Rufer taking over coaching. Over the next few days the club would be reassessing its coaching options.

"We informed the players in a meeting this morning. There's no doubt that the results in the first four games were not good, and nobody's taken it harder than Michael.

"It was absolutely unanimous that everyone on the board thinks he's the man for the job, but it happens and now we nove on."

Petersen's philosophy was to play attacking football, an approach which last year saw him take South Melbourne to the NSL grand final in his first year of coaching.

He won the Coach of the Year title and his arrival in Auckland was regarded as a major coup.

"We can't get away from the fact that we have been disappointing, we have conceded goals, and we have to address that. That would have meant he had to change his philosophy," Turner said.

Many of Petersen's plans were in tatters before the season kicked off, with key signings Vas Kalegoracos and Con Boutsianis unavailable.

Kalogeracos returned to Melbourne for personal reasons and Boutsianis -- a personal friend of Petersen's -- has refused to play for the Kingz after a still unresolved disagreement with the club.

"I think the Boutsianis situation has hit him hard," Turner said.

"On both the personal relationship, which has been very strong, and the professional relationship, he's been hit hard and really struggled to handle it."

When asked if there had been any movement in the Boutsianis situation, Turner simply laughed.

In a statement from the club Petersen was quoted as saying: "I have total respect and admiration for the Kingz board and management, who have done everything possible to support me in the role.

"I feel sorry I have let them down, and the supporters, but in the end I believe my decision is in the best interests of the club."

Kingz chairman Paul Smart said the board was surprised and disappointed by Petersen's decision, but wished him well.

The Kingz travel to Sydney this week to face reigning NSL champions Wollongong Wolves, a side who are also winless this season.

As of this morning the Kingz only had 12 fit players, and reinforcements would have to be called for the Friday night match, Turner told NZPA.

"Hopefully by the end of the day we will be in a position to confirm two or three New Zealand players who will join us on a short-term basis."

- NZPA