Barely two months in charge of Vipers, Roberto Martinez alias Bianchi Beto was shown the exit door by club supremo Lawrence Mulindwa.
The news was made public on Thursday two days after a 1-0 defeat at Simba that ended Vipers’ slim hopes of reaching the quarter finals of the Caf Champions League in their maiden group stages campaign.
Under his reign, Vipers have failed to win a game in normal time and shockingly failed to hit the back of the net.
With seven points separating the Venoms from KCCA in the league and a trip to Wakiso Giants in the Stanbic Uganda Cup lurking, the hierarchy at Kitende couldn’t take any more risks with the Brazilian – Spanish coach.
They are aware that playing on the continent next season requires them to lift a domestic trophy but things didn’t look like they will soon change.
Beto who couldn’t speak English but needed an interpreter found it hard to communicate with his players directly and that did affect the flow of information.
Sources at Kitende indicate most players were reluctant to listen to him and on a few times they did, the tactician was insulting them for failure to interpret game tactics.
“His methods and strategy purely leaves me out and am sorry but I don’t think I can play well under him,” one player who preffered anonymity said in the aftermath of a goalless draw with Wakiso Giants.
If that wasn’t enough, Beto presided over a split dressing room. One January signing told Kawowo Sports that some players are not welcoming and only prefer to pass to themselves on the pitch even when there is a better option.
“Wano waliwo abalowooza team yabwe nga n’ekukisaawe begabila bokka,” the player stated literally indicating “Some players here believe they own the team and only pass to themselves on the pitch even when there is a better option.”
It’s also alleged the foreign legion along with the new signings and the local boys don’t get on well.
At one time, one of the captains called for the “pros mwongele kapiira” literally translated as “foreigners please increase on what you give to them” something that didn’t go well with many.
Vipers has over ten imported players from DR Congo, Burundi, Angola, Ivory Coast and Nigeria but only goalkeepers Fabien Mutombora and Alfred Mudekereza as well as midfielder Olivier Osomba have notably performed for the club.
The last straw in the ditch was Dar es Salaam when questions were raised over the coach’s selection of the starting XI with some officials preferring Martin Kizza to play.
However, the tactician instead started with winger Ibrahim Oriti as the lead forward and after failing to get the desired result told Mulindwa that “even if he hired Mourinho, he couldn’t achieve results with such a divided dressing room.”
The former Fufa President had no option but to sack Beto who had literally given up on the job if the statement he gave is to be well analysed.
It remains to be seen whether Vipers will go foreign again after Mulindwa reiterated that local coaches are good but need to learn a thing or two from the foreigners.
They have previously had Ambrose Chukuma (Nigeria), Michael Nam (Kenya), Jorge Duarte Da Costa (Portugal), Javier Martinez (Mexico) and Roberto Oliviera (Brazil).
Ismael, I don’t know why it is very hard for you people to mention it bluntly to the whole World that Vipers problems are Mulindwa himself. I know you know what I am talking about. This dictatorial I know it All attitude cannot help matters. What guided Mulindwa to zero down on Bento or Beto as the most appropriate choice?