Miron Bleiberg has resigned as coach of Gold Coast United, claiming owner Clive Palmer had ''disrespected'' him, and the game, with his actions in the tumultuous aftermath of the appointment of 17-year-old Mitch Cooper as club captain.
Bleiberg, the club's founding coach, had officially been ''suspended'' for one game by the volatile Palmer after suggesting the owner's decision to give the armband to Cooper, who made his debut in Friday night's match against Melbourne Heart, was effectively ceremonial.
That ''suspension'' is now a permanent departure, with Bleiberg confirming last night he wouldn't be fronting for training today.
Gold Coast's assistant coach Mike Mulvey will take the team in Wednesday night's rescheduled fixture against Central Coast Mariners, and in all likelihood will coach the team for the rest of the season.
With just six games to go, and at least three wins adrift of second-last place, Gold Coast is a virtual certainty for its first wooden spoon.
Bleiberg, 57, admitted the events of the past few days had ''hurt me'', and made it clear his once-close relationship with Palmer, who claims to be Queensland's richest man, had passed the point of no return.
''I'm not coming back,'' he said.
''Clive took away my dignity, he disrespect me, and he disrespect the game.
''In his eyes, it could be he think I did something wrong. Even if I done wrong - which I don't think I did - the punishment does not fit the crime. It hurt me what he did, if he meant to hurt me, he was successful.''
Bleiberg leaves the club with a heavy heart, admitting: ''It hurts me to see what is happening to Gold Coast United.
''We are almost four years [since formation], and to leave like this, with the team on the bottom, is not very nice.''
Despite the breakdown of his relationship with Palmer, Bleiberg doesn't entirely blame his paymaster, adding: ''I'm not just blaming him - we took someone not from football, and we took his money. Clive doesn't understand the passion there is for the game. That is his major mistake.''
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