Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung has revealed that the club had to part ways with Giovanni Solinas before it was ‘too late’, writes DEAN WORKMAN.

Chiefs announced on Friday afternoon that they had mutually agreed to terminate the contracts of both head coach Giovanni Solinas and assistant coach Patrick Mabedi.

Just hours later the Soweto giants announced that German coach Ernst Middendorp, who had a spell at Naturena from 2005-2007, was returning to the club to fill the vacancy left by Solinas.

Chiefs have struggled under Solinas this season. The Glamour Boys sit in a lowly 11th on the Absa Premiership log with only 18 points, having won just four of their 14 league matches.

Motaung, speaking to the media on Monday at the Kaizer Chiefs Village, admitted that the club had to act swiftly in making changes because results simply weren’t good enough.

‘The previous coach [Solinas], we had to part ways with amicably,’ said Motaung when asked to give a breakdown of recent developments at the club.

‘We sat down with him last week to terminate the contract officially, because as you are all aware, football is an open cast job, there was nothing to hide, the results weren’t coming and we felt before it gets too late and some people’s integrity gets affected and the club gets affected we would rather settle the matter and close it early.

‘He came in and unfortunately didn’t have it fair with the preseason, but he continued to do the job. Along the way though you could see the challenges that we faced and the results were showing this.

‘Football is results driven, and if the results are not coming and you can see the challenges ahead, we had to sit down and make decisions and be decisive on what we are facing.

‘We had to face the facts that we had to beef up our technical area, obviously we gave the coach a chance and gave Mabedi a chance and we have parted ways amicably and with the dignity they deserve,’ concluded Motaung.

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