Marumo Gallants appear to have abandoned talks with Dylan Kerr, sources at the club revealing that they’ve tabled an offer for a Belgian coach.
The Siya crew reported on Friday that Kerr was likely to walk away from discussions over a new contract given the initial proposal for him to continue as head coach of the recently revamped Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila was “sub-standard”.
Although the Englishman guided them to a Nedbank Cup title and helped them avoid relegation from the DStv Premiership last month, he is still not yet been rewarded with a contract he deems satisfactory.
Now, the Siya crew has it on good authority that Gallants have been in talks with yet another coach in Patrick de Wilde, the Belgian whose last job was technical director of Lithuania in 2019, and there’s already an offer on the table.
According to insiders at the club, De Wilde has accepted the job, though it’s not clear whether his is an improved one from what Kerr was being offered.
Kick-Off.com also reported on Friday that Pablo Franco Martin was another European coach on the Limpopo-based outfit’s radar.
Indications are that the club wants someone with a Uefa Pro License to be able to meet the CAF requirements for next season’s Confederation Cup, which they qualified for by virtue of winning the Nedbank Cup, thanks to Kerr.
This, sources have explained, has put Kerr at a disadvantage because the Gallants hierarchy are of the opinion that they need a Uefa Pro License coach or risk not having him available to sit in the dugout come match day.
Kerr has a Uefa A License, which was the previous season recognised as the equivalent of the CAF A version following a decision to give both Gavin Hunt, then Kaizer Chiefs coach, and his Orlando Pirates counterpart Josef Zinnbauer permission to sit on their respective benches.
SAFA told the Siya crew back in November that CAF only wanted coaches with a CAF A License for interclub competitions before the continental motherbody confirmed in a statement a month later that only a “CAF A” or “Pro License from a sister federation” would be sufficient.
Story by @superjourno
Kerr was part of the club's unveiling of a new name earlier this month...
