Birkirkara FC have sent Dutchman Jan Artz back home – after just two days and a few hours since he was recruited.

He had arrived in Malta on Thursday to help coach Stephen Azzopardi in trying to find a solution to the crisis which has hit the club.

But on Friday morning, Azzopardi tendered his resignation as he did not agree to a proposal that Artz was to be a co-coach, adding that he thought Artz would have been a collaborator with whom he would have worked willingly.

In such a situation, the Stripes put Artz in command of the team for Saturday’s match against Marsaxlokk, but as everyone knows, it ended in another disaster – a humiliating 6-1 defeat.

Yesterday it became known that Artz had been sent home by the Stripes. In fact, he left Malta in the morning and returned to the Netherlands.

Artz had guided Floriana towards safety last season as well as a place in the FA Trophy final.

Meanwhile, the Stripes are in a situation of great confusion at present, and it is not yet known who is to take over the reins of the side, possibly till the end of the season.

In all probability, a coach from the nursery – it could be the head coach – will be given the task of preparing the side for the next matches.

It is also known that there is a great possibility that the remaining matches will see several new young faces replacing some of the old guard, especially those who, according to the club, were not delivering the goods. Some of them have already been courted by some top clubs earlier this season.

These might include Etienne Barbara, William Camenzuli, Kenneth Scicluna and possibly the club’s top scorer this season Jean Paul Mifsud Triganza.

Barbara has been a target for Sliema, while Camenzuli had been linked with a move to Marsaxlokk.