Benni McCarthy could be back working again after seven months without being attached to any football club having left Cape Town City last year.
The former Bafana Bafana striker is currently in Scotland and has said before that his first preference is to land a job in Europe, though he has not closed the door on a return to the Premier Soccer League in his native country.
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Speaking during a press conference with the SA Football Journalists’ Association, the 42-year-old coach revealed that he is keeping close tabs on an opportunity to work with FC Porto, a club where he won the 2004 Uefa Champions League under then manager Jose Mourinho, having had informal chats regarding a role there.
“My agent Rob Moore has been speaking to people and putting a word out to see what’s out there for me. Something interesting really came up, but during these crazy times (Covid-19) you can’t react to what is happening (yet),” said McCarthy.
“In Portugal he spoke to one of my old teammates that was still a youngster – a couple of years younger than me – and was coming up the ranks. I remember this player, who is now the sporting director at a club called Rio Ave FC and he (Andre Vilas Boas, not to be confused with the ex-Chelsea & Spurs manager) actually gave my agent a few good tips on what to do and what might be on the horizon and might be a good opportunity for me. Once the dust settles and things go back to normal then I will be following up because that could be something that is good for me.”
McCarthy explained that there could be an opportunity at Porto.
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“Portugal is a place that I know exceptionally well and I am very much loved, as much as I am in South Africa, especially having played for Porto. They’ve got elections coming up very soon and the president that’s there, Pinto da Costa, is in the running to extend his presidency – he is been there for 30 years, which is remarkable,” he explained.
“He is looking to bring in Vitor Baia as his vice president. With that said, Vitor did mention something about recruiting players from our generation at Porto to get back into the academy for that mindset that those players at the time had. He wants to bring in a couple of us and I’ve had a conversation with him, but obviously once the elections are over and we know who has won then a decision can be made on that. If Vitor gets elected then that might be a good start for me, at a club I know very well and familiar with. And the manager that’s there was also a former teammate of mine. There are a lot of positives.”
McCarthy has not ruled out landing a gig in Scotland, too.
Story by @superjourno
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