Juan José Ribera ceased to be Ñublense's coach on Monday night. His departure came hours after the Chillán team lost 6-0 to Universidad de Chile in Rancagua.
According to BioBioChile, the club confirmed the news through its social media accounts. Cooperativa described it as a departure formally announced by the club.
Accounts differ on how it happened. ADN Deportes reported that the 46-year-old coach submitted his resignation in a conversation with club president Sergio Gioino. No further details about the terms of his departure are available so far.
The heavy loss was Ñublense's fifth consecutive defeat in the First Division. It was also the second time this year the team conceded six goals: the previous occasion was against Colo Colo in May, although the Chillán side at least scored two in that match.
Ribera arrived at the press conference without confirming his future, but offered a harsh assessment. "We didn't compete, they steamrolled us, we were a disaster," he acknowledged. He added that the team failed to show what it had worked on during the week and apologized to the fans.
The coach also admitted that he had already spoken with the club's management. "I didn't come to Ñublense to be in contention just to avoid fighting relegation. The team has sunk over this past month, month and a half," he explained.
The contrast with the start of the season is stark. "We reached third place and now we're absolutely battered," Ribera said. The defeat hurt the club's hopes of competing for a place in international tournaments.
For Universidad de Chile, the victory left the team second with 45 points, nine behind Colo Colo, with six rounds remaining in the championship.
Ñublense has yet to announce Ribera's replacement. The sources provide no names of possible successors, and the club will have to decide in the final stretch of the tournament, with 18 points still at stake.