Greek national football team coach Sergio Markarian on Tuesday tendered his resignation, five months after his hiring, although the federation’s president later in the day announced that it wasn’t accepted!

“I am not accepting it (resignation). I continue to believe in him and trust him,” Greek Football Federation (EPO) president Giorgos Girtzikis told the Athens radio station Sport FM 94.6.

“I came (back) to Greece for the national team at a very critical time. I assumed a very difficult task. I thank God for the opportunity He gave me…. I apologize to the Greek fans, because the results of our games were not very good. I now take a difficult decision, and ending my cooperation with the national team,” the noted Uruguayan manager announced.

Just more than a decade after winning the Euro 2004 Championship, the Greek team dropped out early from qualification for the 2016 Euro in France, losing twice, in fact, to the feisty Faroes Islands national side, which is comprised of amateur players.