Martin Rennie, former head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer (MLS), was sacked by a South Korean second-tier club on Wednesday.
Seoul E-Land FC announced that Rennie will be released from his contract by mutual agreement. The 41-year-old Scot became the club's first-ever head coach when he joined the K League Challenge side in July 2014. He is also the first foreigner to manage a second division pro club in South Korea.
(Yonhap)
"Seoul E-Land FC thank Martin Rennie for leading us for one-and-a-half years," the club said in a statement. "We wish him the best in his future career."
The club, run by South Korean retail giant E-Land, didn't reveal the reason for the contract termination. Seoul E-Land said assistant coach In Chang-soo will temporarily guide the team until they hire new head coach this month.
Rennie's deal was set to expire in March 2017. With his departure, there are currently no foreign head coaches in South Korean pro football.
Under Rennie, Seoul E-Land last year finished fourth in the 11-team league with 16 wins, 14 draws and 11 losses, missing out on a promotion to the top-flight K League Classic. This year, the team was running sixth in the league with five wins, four draws and six losses.
Rennie is best known for his two-year stint at the Vancouver Whitecaps, where he also coached former South Korean international Lee Young-pyo. Rennie was the first coach to lead a Canadian team to the MLS postseason. (Yonhap)
