Fulham coach leaves amid keeper crisis
FULHAM goalkeeping coach Jose Sambade Carreira has left just two games into their top-flight return amid concerns about the club’s two new shot-stoppers.
Sources claim Carreira, who arrived in west London at the start of last season, has found it hard to settle in England while his family have since returned to Spain. The timing of Carreira’s exit raises questions over suggestions he is homesick.
Other Fulham insiders say his departure is connected to internal worries over the signings of goalkeepers Fabri and Sergio Rico.
The Spaniards — who arrived from Besiktas and Sevilla respectively this summer — it is understood, have found difficulty in bedding into Slavisa Jokanovic’s plans due, in part, to the pair’s lack of English.
Rico is yet to start a game for the club and in training it is understood he struggles to communicate with team-mates. Fabri, who has started both games, speaks marginally better English than Rico.
MailOnline exclusively revealed Carreira’s shock departure yesterday, although Fulham were adamant his exit had not been formally ratified.
It is understood that the club’s first-team keepers were told about Carreira’s departure on Wednesday night, but the decision for the coach to leave was made significantly earlier. He did not take training on Thursday.
There was no confirmation from the club about the circumstances behind his departure last night.
Calum Chambers, Joe Bryan, Cyrus Christie and Dutchman Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who have all started in the back four so far this season, communicate in English.
Jokanovic speaks Spanish, but that is largely redundant during a match environment.
Sources claim members of the coaching staff are not fully convinced that Fabri can be the club’s long-term No 1.
It remains to be seen whether Jokanovic changes keeper for tomorrow’s game against Burnley. Marcus Bettinelli, who was first choice last season, is an option.