After a difficult start to the season, Premier League club Marsa yesterday took some bold decisions in their bid to turn their team's fortunes around.

While Edmond Lufi has been appointed as the new Marsa coach, the club committee terminated the contracts of Nigerian players Essien Mbong and Anthony Ewurum.

Marsa president Twanny Mercieca yesterday told The Times that they have reached an agreement with Lufi to take up the coaching post vacated by German Michael Molzahn late last month.

"After talks with a number of candidates, we have finally come to an agreement with Edmond Lufi to take over the reins of the team," Mercieca said.

"In our search for a new coach, we also approached experienced coaches like Lolly Aquilina and Terenzio Polverini but the committee's final choice fell on Lufi. We are confident that Lufi can help our team improve its performances and results."

This season, Lufi formed part of the technical staff of the Birkirkara nursery but he had a clause in his contract allowing him to move if an offer from a Premier League club came about.

Lufi will take charge of the team's training sessions this week and will make his first appearance for his new club on November 26 when bottom-placed Marsa face Marsaxlokk at the Hibs Ground.

Over the next few days, one of Lufi's main tasks will be to look for replacements for Nigerian duo Ewurum and Mbong who were released from their contracts yesterday.

Mercieca would not elaborate on the reasons behind Marsa's decision to end the contracts of Mbong and Ewurum, two of their most experienced players.

"The decision to terminate the contracts of Mbong and Ewurum was made by the committee," Mercieca said.

Mbong, 31, had joined Marsa in the close season after failing to earn a new contract with Hibernians with whom he spent seven seasons. Ewurum, formerly of St George's, moved to Marsa last August as a replacement for Romanian midfielder Filip Marius.

While confirming that Mbong and Ewurum had agreed to sign out of their contracts with Marsa, agent Henry Ekezie said financial difficulties had prompted the two parties to go their separate ways.

Pietà's situation

Meanwhile, Pietà Hotspurs, who share bottom spot in the Premier League table with Marsa on two points, have yet to engage a new coach to replace Davide Vittorio.

Edward Schembri, the Pietà Hotspurs president, offered the job to former Italy international forward Francesco Moriero but the latter has reportedly opted to coach a team in the Ivory Coast.

Sources have indicated that Carmel Busuttil and John Buttigieg, both former Malta internationals, have now emerged as front-runners to take over at Pietà.