The New England Revolution announced Sept. 30 that it has relieved player/coach Walter Zenga of his head coaching and playing duties. Zenga, a former Italian international, is being replaced by
Steve Nicol, a former Scottish international. Nicol, who takes over on an interim basis, has been coaching the Revolution's A-League affiliate Boston Bulldogs. The 39-year-old Zenga posted a 10-20
record this season. New England enters its final two games one point behind Miami, its rival for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Division. "Walter informed us that to wait until the end of
the year to discuss his contract extension was unacceptable to him," Revs general manager Brian O'Donovan said. "He also indicated to us that he had other options in Italy and needed to explore them
immediately. We received yesterday a written ultimatum insisting that the team reach a decision. We would have preferred to evaluate fully the situation during the offseason and make our decision
then. "Given the current set of circumstances, we have decided that we are not in a position to give Walter the contract extension he was seeking at this time." Nicol, 37, made 467 appearances
for Liverpool in 1981-1995. He earned 27 caps for Scotland and played in the 1986 World Cup. Zenga's assistant, Giuseppe Galderisi, has stepped down.
