Th e question Iwill ask…
Masebe Qina: Coach , you h ave been linked with a move to South Africa for some time now. Would you be keen to coach in th e DStv Premiersh ip?
Steven Polack:
Look, it’s nice that my name is being mentioned in South Africa and that stories are coming now and then. I’ve been in Africa, as you know, in Ghana and Kenya, but I’ve always found South African football interesting when I watch it because you have the DStv. I am really attracted to the games. If you look at the level of games, compared to Ghana and Kenya… and this is my opinion, I feel that football in South Africa is more entertaining. Hopefully, one day I can come there and try my luck before Our Father takes me to heaven (giggles). It’s something that I would like to have a go at and show what I can do. South Arica is a nice country and I have people that I know there. I coached Ryan Botha when he was here in Finland, and I also coached his brother – his name is Chad Botha. When Ryan came to play here, I even asked him why he was here. I wasn’t being disrespectful to Finland, but when I watched South African football compared to Finnish football, I thought South African football was better. I would like to come there and show what I can do, and hopefully, by God’s grace, one day I will come there.
MQ: Are th ere any PSL clubs th at you h ave been particularly following?
SP:
English coach Steven Polack has, for some time, been linked with a move to South Africa, although a deal with any of the clubs that were said to be keen on his services never materialised. The UEFA Pro Licence holder says he would love to lead a team either in the DStv Premiership or Motsepe Foundation Championship, having previously had successes with clubs in Kenya and Ghana respectively. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Masebe Qina, the experienced
Yes, I have been following Kaizer Chiefs, (Mamelodi) Sundowns and Orlando (Pirates), and I know that they have been the top teams over the years. Kaizer Chiefs, for me, is one of the biggest teams in South Africa and it has always been like that over the years. There are a lot of people who know about Kaizer Chiefs, but of course, lately things have not been the same for the club for some reason. Sundowns is the top team at the moment, aren’t they? They have been winning the league comfortably. Of course, there is also Orlando and a few other teams. I have a friend actually who coaches Orlando, the head coach, I know him.
MQ: Oh , Jose Riveiro you mean? SP:
Jose Riveiro coached where I am standing as I am talking to you because I am just outside the football stadium and he coached in this stadium. This is called the Veritas Stadium and he coached FC Inter Turku. Yes, I haven’t spoken to him for a long time, but I know him and I used to speak to him when he was here. I watched some of his trainings and I have to say I liked how he worked. He is doing not too bad in Orlando.
MQ: Yeah , h e won two troph ies in h is first season with th e club, th is even th ough some judged h im and called h im names even before h e boarded th e plane to Joh annesburg…
SP:
I understand that people were sceptical when he first joined the club. But how would you know if a coach is any good unless you take him? Yes, sometimes a name can help you, we know that. Jose never coached in Africa, and he comes to Orlando and does a good job. People looked at him and said he coached in Finland and were sceptical, but the fact of the matter is that he has done a good job. I went to Kenya to coach Gor Mahia and in my first season I won two trophies. I won the league and a cup and when I went to Ghana and coached Asante Kotoko, I won two trophies in my first season. I have won a few trophies in Africa – I think they are six in total. I have won Coach of the Year also in Africa.
MQ: Wh at stood out for you about th e Spaniard?
SP:
He is very well organised, and he’s got a very good tactical mind – that’s what I saw in him. I used to watch his games and I thought tactically he is very good. His training sessions are very good and organised and he is very disciplined. We spoke the same kind of language and by that, I mean the football language. Yes, I like him, and he will do a good job there.
MQ: H ow do you th ink Bucs will do in th e CAF Ch ampions League under h is guidance, as th at is a
different kettle of fish ? SP:
Like I say, tactically he is very good, and I think he will do well. I have also been to the Champions League and it’s not as easy there as you might think it is. The teams that you are playing against, you don’t know them too well. When I went to Kenya, I got there on a Wednesday and we had a game in CAF on a Sunday. So, I had one training session with the players before we left for Rwanda, if I am not mistaken about the country. It was an away game and we drew 0-0. We came back home and I then had a week with the team before we played the next game and we won that one 5-1. Everybody thought we had arrived and I was cautious about not getting too excited. We played in a local cup competition and won 1-0 and in the next game in CAF, we lost over the two legs against one of the Northern African teams, which I can’t remember now. All I am trying to say is that I am very experienced in CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup. So, it’s been okay and I think I’ve got the experience to come and help any of the teams in South Africa.
MQ: Wh ich team would you like to join?
SP: Somebody who has got a good project, that would be my first priority. I wouldn’t want to come there and just be another coach but somebody who’s got a project that we can work on. I know that as a coach, you can’t win every game, but the mentality that I always try to instil on the players is that they should always think of themselves as winners. If you believe that you can achieve, don’t doubt yourself. Let’s say I come there to join a First Division club, I want someone who will say, “Let’s go up” and show that he wants exactly that. I want a club that has a plan to achieve things, and that’s important. At the same time, you don’t want to get to a club where you will be told that they want to win the league just by saying it, without a plan. As a coach and technical team, you can plan and all that, but winning the league depends on the quality of your players as well. All 16 teams in the league will say they want to win the championship, but they can’t all win it. We can all try, but we can’t all win the league. The question I will ask if you give me a job to coach a club is, are you going to give me the tools to win the league? Are you going to give me quality players that I can work with and improve to win the league? If you have 11 Lionel Messis, you can’t win the league. Lionel Messi can’t play right back and left back because he is attack minded. You would end up with no defenders even though you think you have quality players in the team. You need to have right personnel in the right positions. You need to have a right plan on how you want the team to play. You’ve got to find the right balance between the players. Don’t get me wrong, any team that I can come to in South Africa or anywhere in the world, I would find a way to play. Let’s say I come to a club tomorrow and say I like to play 4-3-3, but depending on the quality of players I find in the team, I may need to change to a different system. Then at the end of the season or when the transfer window has opened, you can go and find the players that would be suitable for the system that you want to play.
mentor says he has been following Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates and has been impressed with Mamelodi Sundowns for their dominance in the league in recent seasons. Polack also speaks highly of coach Jose Riveiro, whom he was close to when they both worked for different clubs in Finland. Furthermore, he assures Buccaneers faithful that there is more to come for their team under the Spanish coach…
MQ: H ave you ever been approach ed by any club in Mzansi?
SP: I spoke to a couple of chairmen of clubs, but I won’t mention the names of clubs. One of them was very interested, but the offer they made for me to come from Europe and work there wasn’t the best. They decided that they would take somebody else. It was a First Division team. I spoke to two more clubs, but nothing came out of it.
11 LIONEL “IF YOU HAVE WIN YOU CAN’T MESSIS, LIONEL LEAGUE. THE PLAY RIGHT MESSI CAN’T BACKANDLEFTBACK.”
MQ: Th anks for your time, coach , and maybe one day we will see you coach ing in th is country.
SP: Have a good day.