After a short spell in charge of a top club in Europe in 2017, here are some high-profile players the coach heavily tipped to become Kaizer Chiefs' assistant manager has worked with in his career.
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Amid rumours suggesting 51-year-old French tactician Fernando Da Cruz is closing in on a deal to become Chiefs' new assistant, perhaps it is worth looking at the experience the ex-FAR Rabat manager will bring to one of South Africa's most historic and successful clubs.
Having been involved in football since 2006, the Frenchman has worked in various roles throughout his career, with his last post being at FAR Rabat in Morocco between August 2022 and May 2023. There, he oversaw 39 matches as the club's head coach and collected an impressive 2.10 points per game.
Prior to that, the last top post Da Cruz held came during his time as caretaker manager of Ligue 1 outfit Lille. The Frenchman has a long history with Les Dogues, having first worked for the club as a scout in 2008. However, nine years later, he was asked to fill in as interim coach after Marcelo Bielsa was sacked following a string of poor results. Da Cruz took charge of just six matches between November and December 2017, losing three games, winning two of them and drawing on one occasion.
This allowed the Frenchman to work with an array of young and talented footballers such as Nicolas Pepe, who later went on to join Arsenal in a deal worth a staggering €80 million (R1.5 billion). At Lille, he also coached Yves Bissouma, a regular starter in Tottenham Hotspur's midfield, and goalkeeper Mike Maignan. The shot-stopper is considered among the best in his position in Europe and is currently France's No. 1. The 28-year-old AC Milan man needed to wait a while before succeeding Hugo Lloris in Les Bleus' goal, and will be hoping his performances at the 2024 UEFA European Championship can help inspire France to their first major continental trophy since 2000.
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For Lille B, meanwhile, Da Cruz coached Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes, who is one half of arguably Arsenal's best centre-back pairing in more than a decade. The player had his start in Europe with Lille in 2017, before eventually leaving on a permanent transfer to join the Gunners in 2020 in a deal worth €26 million (R505.9 million).
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