• Brown has taken to social media to trying to recruit quarterback Cam Newton
• Porcelli's departure will mark the fourth coaching change of Brown's tenure 
• DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news

Antonio Brown's Albany Empire appeared to descend into chaos on Monday night with its coach Pete Porcelli claiming he had been fired - only for Brown to deny his claims.

Porcelli claimed he was fired by the team after less than one week on the job. He first confirmed the news in a text to WNYT, before also confirming to the Times Union. 

'I appreciated the opportunity to go and lead the men for the one game that I did,' Porcelli said. 'They're a great bunch of guys.'

Porcelli said Ryan Larkin, a main associate to majority owner Antonio Brown, told him he was being demoted to line coach, and that he then chose to leave. 'That's like you being told you're an intern now,' Porcelli was quoted as saying.

Except, speaking to the same publication, Brown said that Porcelli wasn't fired.

'He wasn't fired,' Antonio Brown responded by text, as per Times Union. 'Idk (I don't know) where this came from.' Empire team president also Alberony Denis insisted Porcelli is still working for the team.

'He's still going to be with us, yes,' Denis said. 'Pete's still going to be with us. If he chooses to leave, that's on him, but yes, he's still going to be with the Albany Empire.'

If he has gone, then Porcelli only coached one game during his incredibly short-lived stint in charge. During his one game as head coach the Empire suffered a 49-27 defeat to the Fayetteville Mustangs. 

He played professionally for the Arena Football League's Albany Firebirds and said he wasn't given a reason for his demotion, nor was he told who will replace him.

Porcelli said that Brown fired Empire offensive coordinator Ben Bennett after Saturday's game.

The Empire's other coaching moves this season were the firing before the season started of Tom Menas, the hiring and departure of Damon Ware following an issue with payment, and the rehiring and resignation of Menas all led to the hiring of Porcelli.

Brown also landed himself and the team in headlines after saying he planned to play in the game against the Mustangs over the weekend, only to be listed as an inactive player.

According to the Empire, the paperwork from Brown's physical hadn't been submitted in time, but National Arena League commissioner Chris Siegfried said Brown had the right as an owner to override that requirement and play.

'He's changing coaches and players every single week and I was trying to build it from the ground up again,' Porcelli said.

'I had no say on personnel, no say on really anything. It's too bad he's duping the fans and he's insulting the city of Albany saying he's playing and saying Cam Newton's coming. It's an embarrassment to Albany.'

'From the outside looking in, I didn't really know,' Porcelli said. 'But now that I was inside looking out, I was just trying to build the foundation and never really had the chance.

'I guess Antonio and his group are making all the moves. I wanted to fill in pieces, that's all. The players we had were good guys. I was going to try to upgrade the team each week. But I had no independence on personnel decisions and I had no input on anything but just stepping in as the head coach.'

The payment issues that saw Ware leave the team also saw eight key players leave the team along with an incident on the team bus, and players being locked out of their hotel rooms.

Claims of poor management and home attendance record were leaked as well.

The news Brown's supposed addition to the active roster caused at least a small spike in ticket sales although the ex-NFL star has never played in the NAL before.

During his distinguished NFL career Brown recorded 12,291 receiving yards, 928 receptions and 83 touchdowns across 11 years that saw him suit up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and mainly the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Brown also spent time with the Oakland Raiders although he never played a game for the team before moving to the Patriots.

He has arena league blood running through his veins. His father 'Touchdown' Eddie Brown played WR for Albany Firebirds and was voted the best player in Arena Football League history in 2006.

According to the seven-time Pro Bowler, the only advice he received from his father was very simply: 'Get in the end zone.' It remains to be seen if Brown will put the advice to use in a future game.

As Porcelli mentioned, Brown recently raised speculation that he was trying to get former NFL MVP Cam Newton to join the Empire when he said: 'Stay tuned … my friend Cam will be here soon.'

He followed this up with a tweet saying that he would offer Newton $150,000 to play for the Empire.

Newton's agent told the Times Union that he 'wouldn't know about Newton's plans regarding the Empire and couldn't comment if he did know.' 

Back in April, Brown was repeatedly told to 'get off' the Empire's field by security staff who didn't believe the ex-NFL star was the owner of the team.