Margao, Jan 1 (PTI) SC East Bengal on Saturday announced the appointment of Spaniard Mario Rivera as their head coach for the remainder of the Indian Super League season after Jose Manuel Diaz was sacked following a string of poor shows.

Diaz was shown the door on Tuesday, midway into the season, after the club's eight-match winless streak -- four losses and four draws -- and former India international Renedy Singh was given charge as interim coach.

Also Read | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Continues to Remain Sidelined From Arsenal As The Gunners Announce 21-Member Squad for Match vs Manchester City in EPL 2021-22.

For Rivera, it is a homecoming of sort as he had guided East Bengal to a second-place finish in the I-League two seasons back. He was assistant to former East Bengal coach Alejandro Menendez for 32 games in 2018-19 I-League season before he was asked to take over the reins.

"We are happy to appoint him as our head coach. Mario has been part of East Bengal previously and his experience in Indian football will be beneficial to the team for the rest of the season," said SC East Bengal CEO Col. Shivaji Samaddar.

Also Read | Arsenal vs Manchester City, Premier League 2021-22 Free Live Streaming Online & Match Time in India: How To Watch EPL Match Live Telecast on TV & Football Score Updates in IST?.

Rivera, a UEFA Pro Licence holder, will undergo a mandatory quarantine period as per ISL rules and will take charge of the team thereafter.

Under Diaz, SC East Bengal remain at the bottom of the 11-team ISL table with just four points.

SC East Bengal will next take on Bengaluru FC at Bambolim on Tuesday.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)