Story Summary
HK Dukla Michalovce have ended their collaboration with head coach Jakub Ručkay by mutual agreement. Assistant coach Marek Bartánus will temporarily lead the team for Sunday’s Tipsport Liga game against Spišská Nová Ves.
Ručkay arrived behind the Michalovce bench in June, replacing Erik Čaládi. His departure comes with Dukla on a three-game losing run and sitting 11th, second from bottom, with 15 points from 15 matches.
Key Facts
- HK Dukla Michalovce and head coach Jakub Ručkay ended their collaboration by mutual agreement.
- Assistant coach Marek Bartánus will temporarily lead Michalovce against Spišská Nová Ves on Sunday.
- Jakub Ručkay joined Michalovce in June as the replacement for Erik Čaládi.
- Dukla Michalovce are on a three-game losing streak and stand 11th in the Tipsport Liga with 15 points from 15 games.
- Ručkay’s departure is the second coaching change of the current Tipsport Liga season after Prešov replaced Ryan Colville with Tommi Hämäläinen.
IHM Discussion
Michalovce have moved quickly after a difficult opening stretch, ending Ručkay’s short spell only months after his June appointment. The immediate decision is to place Bartánus, already part of the coaching staff, behind the bench for the meeting with Spišská Nová Ves rather than install a permanent successor at once.
The club’s position gives the change added urgency. A three-game skid has left Dukla second from bottom, level with a point-per-game return after 15 outings. The move also continues an early pattern of coaching turnover in the league, following Prešov’s recent switch from Ryan Colville to Tommi Hämäläinen.
Why It Matters
The change puts an assistant coach in temporary charge at a time when Michalovce need to halt a losing sequence and improve their place in the table. Bartánus’s first assignment is a league fixture against Spišská Nová Ves, while the longer-term coaching situation remains unspecified.