Player's father attacks Moniz
Curious incident involving ex-HSV coach causes a lot of trouble
Ricardo Moniz is experiencing successful sporting times at FC Zurich, but despite the successful run there is a lot of trouble for the leaders of the Swiss Super League: a substitution leads to a scandal. The coach becomes the target of an attack from within his own ranks.
First round in the Swiss Cup, train 94 against FC Zurich. It doesn't sound all that exciting to the international sports fan. But the game in the first round should be interesting. Not because of FC Zurich's 2-0 win, after all, leaders of the Super League. But because of a strange incident: After Labinot Bajrami was substituted, “a spectator from the main stand approached the dugout, shouted at the head coach and threw an umbrella in his direction,” the club later revealed. “As it quickly turned out, it was the father of the substituted player who attacked the FCZ head coach.” Moniz “just missed” the umbrella throw.
Moniz, who was once in interim charge of Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga for three games, had previously substituted Bajrami on and then replaced him again after just 20 minutes, “after the player responded to head coach Ricardo Moniz's instructions with very vulgar language,” writes the club. Apparently Father Bajrami didn't like that at all.
“We strongly condemn this action and, together with Ricardo Moniz, will reserve the right to take legal action,” said FC Zurich. Moniz also commented on the incident at SRF: “I've never experienced anything like this. This is an absolute low point. This will have consequences. This is not good for the talent.” Bajrami, who has been playing for FC Zurich since 2021 and was brought into the professional squad from the club's U21 squad this season, has only made one appearance for the first team this season. The substitution has “nothing to do with his performance, but rather with his behavior towards the head coach,” writes the FCZ. The 19-year-old commented on an instruction from the trainer with a “fuck off,” reported Moniz.
“And then you get so screwed!”
Moniz has only been in charge at FC Zurich this season – and has already caused quite a stir during this time: In the Super League, FCZ leads the table after three wins from the first four games. But there had already been trouble about further substitutions for the Dutchman. In the first game of the season, he had taken new signing Doron Leidner, who had only been substituted on in the 26th minute, off the pitch relatively quietly at halftime.
The situation escalated for the first time after the Conference League qualifying game against Vitória Guimarães. Moniz only gave attacker Jonathan Okita a few minutes after his substitution before replacing him again. And sent harsh words after the Congo international. The player who was previously willing to change was given “a chance because we see his quality – and then you get screwed by him! Anyone who doesn't show a willingness to learn is thrown out of the squad.” FCZ President Canepa supported his coach afterwards – and announced that he had formulated the criticism even more drastically. At least Okita was allowed to play again against Zug. What will happen next for Labinot Bajrami is currently unknown.
Moniz led Red Bull Salzburg to a double in Austria in 2012, after which the former professional went on the road: eleven different clubs in ten countries are on the coach's CV. In Germany, in addition to Hamburger SV, Moniz also worked as head coach for the then second division club 1860 Munich, but was fired after nine league games.
