Heric jets in – and then gets sack
BUDGET cuts forced Port Elizabeth’s Premier Soccer League side Chippa United to axe the club’s technical director Vladislav Heric.
Heric received an e-mail early Thursday morning from the club’s lawyer stating that his services were no longer needed at the club.
He was fired less than 24 hours after having arrived in Port Elizabeth from his home in Serbia.
Heric, a former Bay United mentor, was signed by Chippa on a permanent basis in March after former coach, Teboho Moloi’s exit.
He managed to save the Chilli Boys from relegation, with the team finishing the PSL season in 10th position on the log.
Upon the surprise return of Dan Malesela as coach for the 2018-19 season, the Serbian had been moved aside and redeployed to Chippa’s development structures.
But Heric had not even moved into that chair, before he was sent packing.
Chippa’s chief operations officer Lukhanyo Mzinzi said the decision to fire Heric was not personal.
“We [management] looked at the structure we have now which is a coach and two assistant coaches.
“We still have the development coaches, and we looked at what our budget was like for the technical team versus what would be an expectation of our technical director in terms of remuneration.
“So we arrived at the decision that, for us to being viable until the end of the [next] season we will have to cut some jobs.
“It is not only him [Heric] there are others whom we have also sent letters to – among the staff – as we are trying to cut costs and avoid a possible financial crisis mid-season,” he said.
“It was nothing personal against Heric as a person. He had his own expectations.”
Meanwhile, Heric said he was saddened by the news as he had already drafted a plan of action for his new job.
“I was supposed to meet with some guy on Friday [yesterday] at the university. I had drafted all the developments plans to educate the coaches at development, check up the MDC team and the field and all the structures.
“I had prepared all this while I was on holiday. Now that I am back I see that I have done all that for nothing,” he said.
“I had agreed that I was going to be the technical director, which includes development structures as well. I was supposed to be the technical director in full capacity that is what we signed on for.
“I had the technical director position as an opposition to choose from in my contract and the club went with it. We had a letter for that and then three weeks later I get another letter saying I am no longer needed at the club.
“I was shocked when I saw the e-mail, but I will soldier on,” Heric added.