New AmaZulu coach Pablo Franco Martin has revealed he is ready for the pressure that comes with his new job and hopes for a long stay with the club.
Cijimpi, as he was nicknamed by Usuthu president Sandile Zungu, arrived at King Shaka International Airport in Durban on Thursday and was welcomed by a rousing crowd, with fans singing the club’s clan name and traditionally dancing.
That left the Spanish tactician cutting a big smile as he was given the traditional shield by club president Zungu.
Zungu has done this type of unveiling normal, even with former coaches such as Benni McCarthy, Brandon Truter and recently Romain Folz, saying he wishes Martin can have a long stay at the club for a decade.
“As the president has said, I hope it is a whole decade because I’m already feeling home,” the new coach stated.
“I see the potential of the players and I have discussed this with Mr Zungu and I hope we can achieve great things together.”
Martin comes with some pedigree, having been the assistant coach at Real Madrid under Santiago Solari and Julen Lopetegui, respectively. During his spell at Santiago Bernabeu he coached players such as Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Raphael Varane and Gareth Bale.
When Lopetegui and Solari left Madrid, Martin – born in the Spanish capital – went to Middle East to coach Qadsia SC where he won the Kuwait Super Cup. James Okwouso, who was at Chippa United before, was the unlikely hero as he scored the winning goal to hand what is Martin’s only silverware in his CV so far.
The Spanish coach left Qadsia in June 2021 to join Simba SC in Tanzania, leading them to the semi-final of the CAF Confederation Cup last year, when they lost to Orlando Pirates, who in turn lost to RS Berkane of Morocco in the final.
For Usuthu, Martin comes to a club that had one of their worst seasons under Zungu’s leadership, finishing 12th on the DStv Premiership table, despite reaching the MTN8 final for the first time since 1978.
They started this campaign with Truter as the head coach, but he was sacked in October last year. Then Folz took over, but he didn’t last, leaving his post in April, when he was replaced by Ayanda Dlamini on the interim basis until the completion of the season – but he too has been removed to make way for a new chapter under Martin.
Despite all these coaching changes, the 43-year-old insists he is ready to handle the pressure that has cranked up in volumes on the AmaZulu coaches in the past.
“I would like this question to be asked in future because for me football is not about pressure, but football is my life,” he explained.
“Football is something that we love – coaching the players. We are coaching because of the fans, we want to have fun.
“I understand in my profession you are under pressure, but pressure is for people who cannot eat some days, for people who are fighting at work and that is really pressure.
“For us, we are here to do our best daily and when someone is not like that it changes everything.”
