Report | Coach Ashley Westwood to part ways with RoundGlass Punjab FC
Coach Ashley Westwood's contract with RoundGlass Punjab FC is coming to an abrupt end as on Monday, the English manager resigned from his post, as per a report in The Bridge. Westwood joined Punjab before the I-League season, which is now underway, and started the tournament well under him.
Punjab subsequently maintained their winning streak, winning two of their following three matches. However, they slipped to the third position after a sharp collapse in form, scoring only one point in their following two matches.
The strain was already mounting on the Englishman and his team with such a star-studded lineup. As a result, Westwood appears to have opted to resign from his position. Former Bengaluru FC and ATK Club manager has parted ties with the Punjab-based I-League team, according to sources close to the situation.
Bengaluru FC was where Westwood began his Indian football career. He won the I-League title in his first season with the Blues. Bengaluru FC won the Federation Cup the next season and almost missed out on the I-League by a whisker. Westwood, on the other hand, guided Bengaluru FC to league triumph the following season before departing the club at the end of the campaign.
Ashley returned to India in 2018 as the director of football with the Indian Super League club ATK after completing one season with Penang FA in Malaysia's Super League. His comeback to Indian football, however, did not go as smoothly as his first stint. ATK failed to win games during the season and had three different coaches, including Westwood himself. That season, Westwood parted ties with ATK after a dismal management stint.