Vlad on walking plank

After jumping ship on the eve of a season-defining Soweto derby against old adversaries Kaizer Chiefs, departed Orlando Pirates coach Vladimir Vermezovic said he was neither pushed nor pressured out of the job.

He said, though, that he could no longer see his future at the club after Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Maritzburg United at Soccer City.

A "lynch mob" of Buccaneers fans calling for Vermezovic's head gathered after the final whistle, throwing objects at the coach, chanting songs and waving placards that urged him to leave.

"No, the fans did not push me out, it was my decision," Vermezovic said yesterday.

"The chairman explained what was going on. There was absolutely no pressure from Orlando Pirates.

"There were a lot of small things which became big problems. The final straw was this game against Maritzburg United.

"After that I decided to resign."

"VV" came back to South Africa hoping to become an all-conquering leader. Instead, he left as something of a eunuch after just 10 months, with only a Nedbank Cup to show for his trouble.

When the coach was appointed in February, Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza said "his hunger and discipline is impressive". But the Serb left with his tail between his legs.

For a man who carried an iron-fist reputation from his time at Kaizer Chiefs, Vermezovic battled to gain control at a club where the management is known to assert itself over team selection and on-field matters.

When probed about these challenges, he said: "I spoke with the chairman and he accepted my reasons for resigning and I don't want to comment further than that.

"Some things must remain within the house," he said.

"You know me. I'm never one to talk about things that are happening inside the club. We agreed to go our separate ways."

Unquestionably, the biggest challenge he faced was trying to lift the players' spirits after the recent murder of club captain and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa.

Vermezovic admitted that he had failed at this, which meant that a season that promised much - especially after the team reached the MTN8 final - dissolved into inconsistency.

"For the coaches to make something of their tenure, it is really important to give them time," the Serb said.

"I was there for 10 months. Yes, we won one Nedbank Cup, but that was too short a time to leave a serious mark.

"We had excellent atmosphere in the team and we had good pattern of play on the field, which everybody talked about.

"That was until the first Fifa international break on September 5, when everything started to go downhill.

"The spirit in the team declined further after Senzo's murder. I tried to lift it up but it was very difficult to do that. "