The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has confirmed the departure of Chipolopolo coach Aljosa Asanovic.
Asanovic who was appointed on January 15, 2022, as Chipolopolo head coach has since communicated his resignation to FAZ.
FAZ General Secretary Adrian Kashala says Asanovic had sent his resignation from his home country after snubbing all efforts to resolve the matter through a roundtable.
“Following weeks of fruitless efforts to get the coach to return to his workstation and resolve contractual matters, we have been notified by Mr Aljosa Asanovic through his lawyers that he has quit his position as Zambia National Team Head Coach,” Kashala says.
“Understandably, after failure to meet some of the key performance indicators and propensity to leave his workstation after every international assignment made his position untenable.”
Kashala says FAZ welcomes Asanovic’s desire to accelerate the matter to FIFA to seek closure.
“We welcome Mr Asanovic’s desire to report the matter to FIFA as we equally want finality on the matter especially in the claim for remuneration for the period one is absent from work,” he says.
Asanovic has been in his native country since Zambia lost 1-0 at home to Mozambique on July 30 to crash out of the Algeria 2023 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers.
The 56-year-old Asanovic has been on the job for eight months following his appointment as Chipolopolo coach in January.
“I must emphasize that coach Aljoša Asanovic is no longer the coach of the Zambian national football team, as of September 22, 2022, because the coach unilaterally terminated the contract due to the violation of contractual obligations by the Football Association of Zambia,” Radic said.
“When I say violations, I mean primarily the failure to fulfil financial obligations towards coach Aljoša Asanovic.
Kashala says FAZ in consultation with the government and other stakeholders will announce the next steps in due course.