Maritzburg United’s troubled start to the PSL season led to the resignation of head coach Ernst Middendorp.
The 58-year-old German coach has had three spells with the modest KwaZulu-Natal club, with the latest lasting 11 months.
He helped them save relegation last season, but registered just two wins in 10 league assignments this season.
He said in a statement: “I indicated that after the Cape Town assignment (from last Saturday to Tuesday), I would resign. The chairman tried very hard to persuade me to stay and complete what I had started, but I felt very strongly that it is in the interest of the club that I step down because with me in the equation, it would be difficult to experience a different situation on the field than what we had experienced already. I had to remove myself from the equation.”
Middendorp was suspended for the club’s games in Cape Town, where they beat Ajax on Saturday but lost to City on Tuesday.
Said Maritzburg chairman Farook Kadodia: “It was a very painful decision to allow Ernst to go. I tried to persuade him to stay, but he was adamant that to leave was the best thing to do for the sake of the club. I understand where he is coming from with this, and painful as it is, I had to give in to his request.
“We are grateful to the coach for the foundation he has laid, the combination of youth and experience. He leaves us with 10 points after 10 games, having promoted about five players from the Diski team, and the Diski team itself is doing well at the moment.”
Assistant coach Fadlu Davids will take charge of the Midlands outfit until a new head coach is found.
Independent Media