What the Siya crew has been told…

If you’ve followed South African football long enough, the stories of what happens behind the scenes have raised concerns about how coaches have endured interference from the same people they are hired by todoajob.

The owners of the PSL outfits invest millions into keeping their clubs in the topflight of South African football and quite a few of them do not hesitate to get involved in the work of the coaches.

A PSL status, in 2022, would cost nothing less than R40 million, the Siya crew understands.

That’s big money and alludes to why interference creeps into the game, from chairmen having a say in the starting lineups, to clubs signing players without the consent of a coach or technical directors enforcing their ideas.

And the Siya crew understands that the problem is actually bigger than what it’s sometimes made out to be in the media.

Not long after he parted ways with Marumo Gallants, young coach Romain Folz spoke exclusively to the Siya crew to give his side of the story, making it clear that he was told which players to include in his starting line-up.

“I was forced to put in players that were suggested by management, and I refused, and I was told that the assistant would be in charge. That is not what my contract states,” he said at the time, before going on to secure a job at AmaZulu FC.

Interference, as Soccer Laduma has been told, is not exempt from those coaches who have worked for the biggest clubs in the PSL. One such club is Orlando Pirates, with the Siya crew being informed that coaches at the club have at times been directed, which is seen by some as interference.

“Julio Leal was a top coach from Brazil, and he spoke about how they told him exactly what they want, at Pirates and Polokwane City. There was a lot of interference there, too much,” an informant revealed, without wanting to go into too much detail.

On the contrary, Kaizer Chiefs usually give their coaches freedom to their work without chairman Kaizer Motaung, or management, interfering. A coach, who has previously worked at Chiefs, spoke of how they are given freedom to

do their jobs, without having to worry about Kaizer Motaung or anyone else coming to the dressing room or training to talk about which players should be in the line-up.

“At Chiefs, you are given a chance to work. You will hardly see any interference. I think because Kaizer is a former player and he coached the team, he understands the dynamics of football. In passing, he may give you ideas, but he will never impose himself. I remember there was a time when we were playing with one striker and he felt that we should play with two strikers, but he never interfered or said that this is what he wants, even though he felt strongly about it. He was more disciplined in allowing coaches to do their job,” he anonymously said.

Interference can come in many forms, and it’s understood that club bosses sometimes find different ways of ensuring that they have inside information on what their coaches are doing on a daily basis. Some of the coaches who are appointed in the PSL are not given the luxury of bringing in their own assistants. According to information provided to this publication, club owners appoint assistant coaches they can have easy access to, to get information about what’s happening in the team.

“Sometimes it’s difficult when you have a club that chooses their own assistant because then it’s easy for the club to communicate with that person. It leaves room for that interference,” an informant said.

The Siya crew has also been informed how at some of the clubs in the PSL, club bosses or scouts want to see players they signed play ahead of the others.

This is in cases where a coach hardly has a say in which players the club signs.

A source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, explained further, “There are even times when a player is signed without the knowledge of the coach, so it becomes difficult because you will be expected to play that player.”

In some cases, the interference has been done in front of players, with chairmen coming into the dressing room or making phone calls during the game for changes to be made. Soccer Laduma spoke to a player who has witnessed some interference during his spell in the PSL.

“Sometimes it’s done via a call, or someone will call the assistant coach or they send the manager to tell the assistant coach what should be done. So, that’s how we see it as players. Even during COVID-19, you’d see it. Because there were no crowds, it was easier to see it,” the source told the crew.

“In the past, I saw the chairman making a call and then next thing a certain player was warming up. I just can’t name the club.”

Interference remains a big part of South African football and it’s unlikely to stop, especially with club bosses looking to make sure that they stay in the topflight of South African football.