PIRATES COACH ‘Micho’ takes over
PIRATES: SREDOJEVIC SET TO BE HANDED BUCS’ REINS
Freshing from quitting Ugandan job, Serbian on his way back for second stint at Sea Robbers.
Milutin Sredojevic is all set to become Orlando Pirates’ seventh head coach since 2014, after the Buccaneers said yesterday that Swede Kjell Jonevret had handed in his resignation.
It is far more likely that Jonevret was actually pushed, as much as he jumped, to make way for the Serbian, who comes in with a reputation enhanced by a successful spell with the Ugandan national team.
“Micho”, of course, coached Pirates once before, between June 2006 and January 2007, where he guided the club the 2006 Caf Champions League semifinals, but resigned on the back of a woeful domestic record.
Jonevret was named Pirates coach on February 20, and lasted just 18 official matches, winning six, drawing seven and losing five. Four of those victories came en route to the Nedbank Cup final, but the Buccaneers were hammered 4-1 by SuperSport in the decider at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Pirates also finished outside the top eight in the Absa Premiership for the first time in the Premier Soccer League era.
“I would like to thank the club for the opportunity. Unfortunately it didn’t work out as planned. I wish the club and its supporters all the best for the future,” said Jonevret in a statement on the Pirates website.
“I wish Kjell Jonevret well in his future endeavours,” said Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza.
After his stint at Pirates, Sredojevic went on to win two league titles in Ethiopia with St George and another two in Sudan with Al Hilal. In 2011, he was appointed national team coach for Rwanda, but he was fired in April 2013, only to be appointed coach of Uganda a month later. Sredojevic was widely praised for his achievements in qualifying Uganda for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, the first time the East African nation had qualified for an Afcon in 38 years.
Sredojevic resigned from the Ugandan post last week, reportedly over unpaid wages. He tweeted on Monday: “Those spreading rumours about me already signing are wrong I still didn’t sign anything but ready to fly tonight to new destination to sign.”