How Khoza offered Palacios the Pirates job: ‘Do you want to coach the team – yes or no?’

03 November 2016 - 18:27 By Marc Strydom

Augusto Palacios found out about the link to being Orlando Pirates’ caretaker-coaching job through a phone call from his wife‚ then was offered it by chairman Irvin Khoza in the team meeting to announce head coach Muhsin Ertugral’s resignation. Bucs’ development head and new caretaker Palacios said he had not interacted with Ertugral – who resigned on Wednesday morning after an embarrassing 6-1 league defeat against SuperSport United in Nelspruit on Tuesday night – during the head coach’s four-month tenure at Pirates. “Muhsin arrived‚ and I never met him. When ‘VV’ [Vladimir Vermezovic] was there it was the same thing‚” Palacios said at a press conference on Thursday ahead of Bucs’ Telkom Knockout second round game against Highlands Park at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. “The only coach who came to the training of the MDC [reserve] team was Eric Tinkler. “And I have never gone to the training sessions of the first team. I focus on the development. Palacios continued: “One thing the chairman [Khoza] knows is that I don’t have ambition to coach‚ where I apply for jobs at Safa‚ or Free State Stars. He approached me. “Yesterday [on Wednesday] I was in a meeting with a consultant. And then suddenly he told me the club has called a press conference. “Then I went home. And then my cellular [phone] was starting‚ and starting – and I said‚ ‘What’s going on?’ “And then my wife phoned me‚ and I said‚ ‘I know nothing?’. “I went to Rand Stadium‚ I saw the players‚ I saw the coaches‚ and I thought‚ ‘What’s going on here?’. And I sat like this [with crossed arms]. “And then the chairman came and said‚ ‘Do you want to coach the team – yes or no?’. “I did not apply for the job. It was the chairman who asked me to take over in a difficult situation. “I will be training the first team at 3pm‚ and the development from 5pm. My job is the development. But‚ if the club where I have worked for for 21 years asks me to take over this difficult situation‚ I will do it.” Khoza had announced at a 1pm press conference at Rand Stadium on Wednesday that he would engage Palacios to be Pirates’ caretaker‚ a role the development head has filled on numerous occasions‚ including steering Bucs to the 2011-12 PSL title. Palacios said Ertugral’s departure had not been discussed at his first training session in charge on Thursday morning. Asked how the players are dealing with Ertugral’s departure‚ Palacios replied: “One hundred percent. “Today [Thursday] we had a meeting with the chairman‚ so normally the training is at 10am‚ but we changed it to 9am. And the players were all there at 9am‚ not 9.15am. “I did not see any player affected by the 6-1. “Nobody is speaking about the previous coach. “My job is to prepare the team for the next game. We talk about the way forward – the way I want the team to play‚ the discipline aspect. “It can happen – Manchester City lost 4-0 against Barcelona‚ then they beat Barcelona 3-1 [in the Uefa Champions League]. “I never speak about any coach. Because coaches are professional‚ and we are all different. My way‚ and the way that I spoke to the chairman about‚ is to take the team forward. “To motivate the players‚ to encourage the players‚ and talk about the approach to the game on Saturday. That is what we have discussed. “My job is to put the discipline‚ number one‚ and the style that we want to play.” - TMG Digital..

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