Victory Sports Club appoints Slovakian coach Gergely Geri

Victory Sports Club has appointed experienced Slovakian coach Gergely Geri as their new head coach ahead of the ongoing football season.

The club initially began pre-season preparations under veteran local coach Mohamed Athif. However, due to delays in the start of the Dhivehi Premier League season, Victory’s training schedule was disrupted. As a result, Coach Athif shifted his focus and took up the role of head coach for the Maldives national women’s football team.

In the interim, Victory named their former star striker Adam Abdul Latheef (Lahchey) as the acting head coach. Lahchey led the team in their first Premier League match, Victory’s return to the top division after six years, against Buru Sports Club.

Lahchey’s name was also listed as the head coach for their second match against Green Streets, scheduled for this evening. However, a notable change occurred shortly before kick-off when an official from the FAM Competitions Department deleted the previously shared team list from the association’s media WhatsApp group.

A revised team sheet was then submitted, naming Gergely Geri as the official head coach, with Lahchey listed as assistant coach. Despite the change on paper, Lahchey remained on the sidelines and coached the team during the match, as Geri has not yet arrived in the Maldives.

Geri began his coaching career in 2014 and has spent the last ten years working with various clubs across Slovakia. Most recently, he was at FC Košice, a top-flight club in the Slovak Super Liga. He joined the team midway through last season and successfully steered them clear of relegation.

Despite earning a contract extension for the following season, he was dismissed after a series of poor results. The appointment at Victory Sports Club marks Geri’s first coaching role outside of Europe.

Before finalizing Geri’s appointment, Victory attempted to bring in Fidadi Mohamed, a legendary former Moroccan striker. However, negotiations fell through. Fidadi currently holds a position in football development at the Qatar Football Association.