SHOCKING! Gerard Nus reveals how he was sacked by NorthEast United

The Spaniard got candid about his time in the ISL and presented his version of the events that played out.

Gerard Nus came into the Indian Super League and set the stage on fire. His tenure at NorthEast United was short but impressive. The Spaniard setup the base for the team that has helped them play some of the best football in their history.

Speaking on Khel Now's Beyond The Scores podcast, Nus opened up on several topics, such as the initial stages of his career, developing tactics with time, being a young coach and his experience in India. However, the most interesting bit from the session was the inside story of his abrupt dismissal from the club. He expressed his point of view on the events that unfolded behind the scenes.

“The project suddenly finished. It wasn’t my decision. But, these things happen in football, you just have to take the positives and just think about the next project,” he said in reference to the abrupt ending of his stint with NEUFC.

The truth behind the scenes 

Gerard Nus gave his take on the series of events that saw Khalid Jamil being assigned with the grassroots project by NEUFC, because of alleged differences between him and the management. He also shed light on his subsequent sacking which led to Jamil being appointed as interim coach. “These decisions were out of my control. The management made decisions regarding the staff. Later on, they finished my contract and the reason that they gave in the official statement was regarding tactics, vision and philosophy. I thank them for the opportunity they gave me to become the head coach,” he said in the context.

Deshorn Brown’s arrival & significance

“I realized the next day that a new player was brought in which was (Deshorn) Brown from Bengaluru FC, something which I was not familiar at all about." Gerard Nus went on explain how the management hadn't discussed the option to reinforce the squad until he was sacked. Kwesi Appiah’s injury had left the coach short of options in the attacking department. Initially, all the foreign signings that were brought in were after consultation between all parties.  

Players' Reaction

When asked about whether he got the chance to bid farewell to the players after receiving the news of his dismissal, Gerard Nus said, “That was (the sacking) at 12 at night after the game (against BFC). So, I decided to leave a message on the WhatsApp group. I asked them to come down the stairs and had a chat with them. I said what happened, I appreciated their effort and the great performance that they did against Bengaluru. In my opinion, we deserved to win.”

Nus was able to bid farewell to his players, an act he carried out very professionally. Explaining the events that happened that night, he further added, “I said (to the players), 'I just want to say thank you for your support and I’m sorry at the same time for the players that didn’t play.' Few hours later I got a flight back to Barcelona and that’s pretty much it.

“I am keeping in touch with all of them. They (the players) keep writing to me and we have good relations. I had full respect for everyone. Never had any issue or a personal thing. I did the best that I could and we are happy with the work that we have done,” the tactician went on to add. 

The 36-year-old also gave an insight into the players’ reaction post the news (about the sacking). He said, “The players were shocked, they did not understand. It was a big disappointment. It was really shocking, nobody expected it. I got text messages from other coaches in the league and they didn’t understand, I didn’t understand as well.” 

Moving On

“At the same time, in football, you have to take it the way it is. You just have to think about the things you can control. If the management has made the decisions, they should know why they are doing it. I respect it and I’m already thinking about my next assignments. It was shocking, but I had experience at many clubs. This happens to the best coaches and every coach in the world,” Gerard Nus concluded.