Ernst Middendorp, the amiable, German-born coach of Kaizer Chiefs, was dismissed from his post on Monday.
Although a wave of near-hysteria from Chiefs’ supporters had descended on the soccer firmament following the multi-supported Amakhosi’s recent four-game losing sequence — which effectively eliminated them as candidates for both the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and Absa Cup titles — Middendorp was clearly stunned and disappointed at the turn of events that emerged after a fateful meeting convened by club chairperson Kaizer Motaung at noon.
Hours later, Chiefs announced Kosta Papic as the replacement for the rest of the season — a decision that was greeted with some amazement in view of the fact that the Croatian coach was a drop-out while with both Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United in the PSL.
”It is not in my nature to run away from problems,” said Middendorp, ”and I was ready on Monday to roll up my sleeves and get down to the business of putting the team back on the right track. But the Chiefs management thought otherwise and I was relieved of my duties.”
Middendorp’s contract was due to run until the end of the current season and his comment, ”I have strong beliefs about what went wrong with team, but I cannot talk about them now”, was an indication that some form of settlement had been reached.
”It has always been my motto in life to look forward and not backward,” said the deposed coach. ”I will immediately investigate the possibilities of a new venture.
”It would be nice to remain in South Africa,” he added, ”but I cannot say what the future will hold a mere hour-and-a-half after hearing [the] decision.”
Although coming under pressure from a frenzied segment of Chiefs supporters and a blood-thirsty segment of the media, chairperson Motaung and his committee had steadfastly stood by Middendorp through the mushrooming crisis — but defeat against AmaZulu on Saturday night would seem to have been the straw that finally broke the camel’s back.
Forgotten or over-looked was the fact that the experienced and knowledgeable coach had helped Chiefs to the Absa Cup title in his first season with the club last year, secured a much-heralded win against Manchester United — albeit against a much-depleted line-up — in the Vodacom Challenge warm-up and gone on to secure the SAA Supa8 trophy at the start of the current season. — Sapa