10 May 2009
Louis Mazibuko
The sudden termination of Muhsin Ertugral’s contract this week was not as amicable as many have been led to believe.
Having recently involved his lawyers in dealing with Kaizer Chiefs over his future, Ertugral’s relationship with Amakhosi had seemingly become acrimonious, with both parties allegedly not on speaking terms in the last weeks of his tenure as coach.
And when Ertugral wanted to engage his employers, it was through his lawyers.
The writing has been on the wall for some time, but it was the sudden parting of ways, on the eve of the last game of the season, which came as a surprise.
Ertugral says he merely wanted to guarantee his future with the Naturena outfit.
“There was disharmony over the last couple of weeks as we could not come together and talk about my future with the club,” says Ertugral.
But Chiefs say talks were premature.
“His contract expires in 2010,” says Chiefs team manager Bobby Motaung.
“Why negotiate with him now,” he asks.
Both Kaizer and son Bobby Motaung say the coach has always been talking about leaving.
“He has not been talking to us and the message that he was leaving only came through the lawyers,” says Bobby.
“One obviously suspected that there was an agenda of sorts.”
He says that they sat down and agreed to let him go because “his mind was not here”.
“Why keep a man who is not happy? It would have been difficult for him to motivate the players. There was also the danger of creating animosity,” he says.
“We felt it was in the best interest of both parties to part ways. It was a mutual decision”.
Ertugral agrees that he instructed his lawyers to speak to Chiefs about his future.
“We had not spoken about my contract and I advised my lawyers and that was one of the reasons my contract was terminated,” he says.
He said he was not aware that Chiefs were talking to another coach except what he has been reading in the papers.
“I would like to thank the Motaung family, particularly Kaizer Motaung, who is a professional and a man of integrity”, says Ertugral.
He says he will be flying to his home in Cape Town tomorrow, before heading to Europe on a business trip.
Chiefs are expected to announce a new coach in the next few days.
Motaung senior has categorically stated that he will not hire a local to replace the outgoing Turkish coach. It is for this reason that speculation is rife that Amakhosi are likely to acquire the services of well-travelled Ratomir Dujkovic.
The Serbian coach previously coached Rwanda, and guided Ghana to their first World Cup appearance in Germany in 2006.
He also led the Chinese Olympic soccer team on home soil last year.
http://www.sundayworld.co.za/swzones/sundayworldNEW/sport/sport1241899392.asp