What's next for championship-winning Pitso?
PITSO MOSIMANE is considering taking a one-year sabbatical a la Pep Guardiola to recharge his batteries.
Pretty apt when you consider just how hard the Mamelodi Sundowns coach has worked in the past four years with very little rest.
Granted his success does not match that which the Spaniard, who is now in charge of Manchester City, had with Barcelona before he took a year out, in New York.
Indeed, Jingles has worked his bloody socks off.
“I am a bit tired,” Mosimane said after leading the Brazilians to yet another championship title – the third in five years – at the weekend with a 3-1 win over Ajax Cape Town. “No, no, I am serious. I am a little bit tired because it has been four years with no off-season.”
He was not exaggerating: Sundowns’ local success has ensured that they had close to no proper break – their participation in the Caf Champions League seeing them playing even during the South African off-season when most clubs were resting.
“I am talking to my family about maybe taking a sabbatical. So we will see. It has been too much. We have been through too much with my family. We’re just holding on.”
The high expectations on him to deliver success for the club financed to the max by mining magnate Patrice Motsepe has ensured he’s stayed busy behind the scenes.
The former Bafana Bafana coach sets himself lofty goals that can only be achieved through personal sacrifices. The rewards have been fantastic though – three PSL titles, the Telkom Knockout and the Nedbank Cup, the continental Champions League as well as the Caf Super Cup and participation at the Fifa Club World Cup.
Surely the man needs some time to recharge? “It’s been tough, we are being expected to win while travelling and playing every three days to make sure the team qualifies for the Champions League. I don’t want to blow our own trumpet, but which team can play at the same tempo every three days despite having transits, long flights and just one day rest?
“Let’s play every three days and see if they can do what we did,” he challenged,
“Esperance (of Tunisia), Al Ahly (Egypt) and Sundowns are the only teams in Africa that can play in three seasons and play three matches a week consistently like the Real Madrids and Barcelonas. And there are no complaints. And they (the players of these clubs) play for their national team also, and no complaints.”
Mosimane makes it clear he has a bigger goal to achieve, perhaps before the sabbatical materialises.
“It’s good for Sundowns (to win the league title). We need to go to a 10th league (championship triumph) and put a different star below the badge,” he said.
That means two more titles to achieve that goal. The Brazilians now have eight since the advent of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in 1996/97 – three under Mosimane’s leadership.
With a good number of the core of his squad having gone through the recent rigorous seasons, rest will be key if Sundowns are to get to 10 titles soon.
A sabbatical for the coach, however, might not go down well with their passionate supporters who have grown from haranguing Mosimane to celebrating him even in defeats.