Former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane has broken his silence on his exit from Iranian giants Esteghlal FC, saying he left because he needed to protect his name.
Mosimane, 60, parted ways with the Iranian giants last month, with his representatives MT Sports citing unpaid salaries as reason.
The South African tactician was only in charge of 14 games, winning three, losing four, while the rest ended in draws. However, when it looked like Mosimane and his team had found some stability, talks of financial issues and unpaid salaries overshadowed the results, with Mosimane now admitting it ultimately led to his departure.
“A big team in Iran, a big team in Asia. We just played [AFC] Champions League with Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, we played with Neymar’s [former] team, we played with Riyad Mahrez’s team,” he told Xoliswa Zondo on 5FM.
“For me as an African coach there is nothing bigger than that. You play with big teams, big coaches, who won [Copa] Libertadores, who won leagues. Everybody who is not in the Premier League is in that space.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t end very well because I had to terminate the contract because I had to protect the brand, I had to protect my name, I had to protect the 26 years I’ve put in football.
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“I don’t think I should’ve just stayed unpaid. I’ve got children here, I need the funds and resources. I need to help my young boys – I’ve got seven-year old, I’ve got a hundred coaches here [at PMSS], it’s a lot, I’ve got 100 salaries to pay.
“More than that, in fact, also the office and everybody. So, we have to get paid for the job we’ve done. We’ve done well. Good club, and big vibe.”
Mosimane also admitted that he didn’t find the Iranian giants in an overall good state but he was prepared to help rebuild the club.
“It’s one of the biggest clubs in Asia, but the team was a mess to be honest,” he continued.
“What I found to have to change. The transition was good, we were doing well to change.
“It was a team that’s not well-looked after. You know when a big team like Man United is not doing well, but you can see that the structure is good, it’s looked after, you can still buy players and all that.
“But there we needed more than playing personnel, it will take time, but that’s why I went there, because I knew what I came for.
“But when you don’t find resources and back-up to do what you think you could do, then it becomes a problem.”
