Dundalk FC are on the lookout for a new management team after Filippo Giovagnoli announced his departure from the club.

The Italian said his goodbyes to players at training having been in the dug out for the final time on Saturday night for his side's 1-1 draw against St Patrick's Athletic.

His exit follows on from that of team manager Shane Keegan 24 hours earlier, although neither departure has yet to be formally acknowledged by the club. Dundalk are not expected to issue a statement today.

Giovagnoli first arrived in Ireland as an unknown from the Met Oval Academy in New York last August as an interim appointment following Vinny Perth's departure from Oriel Park.

He subsequently guided the Louth club to the group stages of the Europa League and secured silverware by clinching the FAI Cup against Shamrock Rovers in the Aviva Stadium last December.

That led to him being given the job on a permanent basis but just 41 days ago he was demoted from head coach to coach with Keegan named team manager as the club looked to get around the fact that the 50-year-old did not hold a Pro Licence - something which yielded a €50,000 fine from UEFA for the offence of 'shadow coaching' in the Europa League group stages.

The system had its critics and while Dundalk did go on to lift the President's Cup against Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght Stadium last month, their start to the new league season has been amongst the poorest in the club's history with just two points taken from their opening five games. They currently sit in ninth place, already nine points off the top, heading into Tuesday's crunch clash with bottom side Derry City.

It remains to be seen who will take charge of the Lilywhites for that match.

Sporting director Jim Magilton was named as interim manager on the team sheet for the game with St Pat's on Saturday night but remained in the stand throughout the game at Oriel Park.

He refused to comment on the managerial situation after the game, saying: "We will clarify everything in the next few days, I promise you that."