Former Sri Lanka football head coach Nikola Kavazovic has threatened to take legal action if his demand for US$ 6700 (two months’ salary and one month’s allowances) for unilaterally terminating his services as the national coach of the depleted Lankan team is not paid within the next few days.

Kavazovic, a Serbian was sent home in May after his reign as head coach brought in disastrous results for the national team, including a first-ever defeat against minnows Bhutan in a World Cup qualifier. In an email addressed to Anura de Silva, the newly elected President of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) Kavazovic claims that the FFSL had failed to issue him a valid letter of termination.

“This is my last letter to you,” he wrote. “So I will repeat my legal demands. 1. Valid document(letter) on the unilateral termination of my contract by FFSL to be issued, not later than 1st of June 2. One month’s salary if the letter is issued before the said date. 3. The date of the document should be the date, you issued the letter,”

His sacking was however not primarily due to the poor results Sri Lanka endured under his reign. Documents in the possession of ‘Daily Mirror’ shows that FFSL has in fact offered him a fresh contract on April 23 with a salary increment.

“With regard to your agreement with the FFSL, we would appreciate your concentration on the team for the SAFF Championships to be held in due course in 2015,” an email signed by Anura de Silva states.

“We will renew the contract for you with an all-inclusive salary of US$ 4000 per month and you will (have to) look after housing and transport,” states the mail further.

Even though the negotiations for a fresh contract was done by Anura de Silva, it is not clear on what capacity the former CEO had negotiated as he resigned from his post on April 3 to contest for the FFSL Presidency. However responding to the new contract offered, the Serbian had made several demands including that of changing his support staff, which may have been the main reason for the sudden send off.

The Serbian maintained that he is officially the coach of the national team of Sri Lanka as the FFSL has not issued him with a letter of termination.

“I was surprised when team manager told me on May 1 that my services were terminated. And then on May 4, the Acting CEO presented me with a back-dated letter without a signature. In fact they have misspelled my name. This letter cannot be accepted and I need a letter and also to honour the contractual agreement we had,” he wrote from Serbia.

However, President Elect Anura De Silva has responded saying that he would look into the matter after assuming duties today (June 1) as President.

“As I was out of the FFSL at that time, I have to ask people concerned to find out as to what happened. As far as I know, the contract was terminated on mutual grounds not unilaterally as he says,” contended Anura De Silva when contacted by the .

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka