Heric speaks from the heart over sacking

Sibongiseni Gumbi

Former Chippa United coach Vladislav Heric (right) has urged the Premier Soccer League and Safa to look into how coaches are treated as this hinders the growth of the game and sometimes brings the local game into disrepute.

Heric told the Saturday Citizen that his family were left humiliated after his sudden axing by Chippa Mpengesi who had just a few days earlier promised him a longer contract.

He claimed that the general treatment he got at the club made him feel worthless as both a coach and human being.

“The way I was fired at Chippa made me change my mind about football, but then I thought I should never work with difficult people again. The way they humiliated me and my family was bad and they continue to do it.

“I have decided that I will only work for decent people who will not underestimate my job, who will treat me like a human being, like a coach,” Heric said.

Having saved the team from potential relegation, Heric said he was then promised he would keep his job but Mpengesi later reneged on that promise.

“I got confirmation that my contract would be extended as they would exercise the option to renew. And later on I received an email saying I was being released. I had already rejected two clubs who wanted my services. I had nowhere to go. It was very difficult and it was humiliating for me and my family,” he said.

“It is disgusting how coaches are treated at some clubs. We are literally treated like dogs, kicking us up and down and we are made to feel worthless. Even the team (bus) driver is treated better than the coach. This is something that needs to be looked at seriously. Not because I was fired – I have been fired a lot in my 14 years as a coach. But I am not the only one, I think Dan (Malesela) also went through the same thing … and many other coaches before that. I hope the PSL and Safa will one day do something about this,” he said.

Heric is now coaching at National First Division strugglers Ubuntu Cape Town where he said he can feel his work will be appreciated. Ubuntu are bottom of the standings but registered their first win in 10 matches last weekend.