Politis

Ricardo Sa Pinto Sacked by Esteghlal!

Published February 21, 2026, 12:12
Ricardo Sa Pinto Sacked by Esteghlal!

Portuguese coach Ricardo Sa Pinto has been sacked by Iranian team Esteghlal. The club announced that it thanks the coach for his "efforts," but the results did not meet the club's goals. The announcement states that the elimination from Asian competitions and the dissatisfaction of the fans led to the decision to remove Sa Pinto. Additionally, the club highlighted "certain unconventional communication challenges" from the coaching staff, which created conflicts with the administration. Sa Pinto has previously worked in Greek teams, such as OFI and Atromitos. His dismissal from Esteghlal marks the end of a period that was not successful for the Portuguese coach.