Tinkler understands his former employer Comitis’ frustration after his shock departure

Eric Tinkler understands John Comitis’ frustration following the coach’s abrupt decision to leave Cape Town City for SuperSport United.

Comitis was angry at the fact that Tinkler didn’t give him a chance to match SuperSport’s offer‚ going as far as to say that he was blind-sided by his departure even though he knew Matsatsantsa a Pitori were after the 46-year-old mentor’s services.

“You can’t really blame him‚” Tinkler said.

“We had a successful season. A very good season. It was important for me to make a quick decision for both clubs.

• Tinkler stuns Comitis 

"I couldn’t dwell on the decision. I had to make it as quick as possible. It happened in a very short space of time.

"Obviously that disappointed him. But that was always going to happen. John’s been in the game for many‚ many years. As much as I have been‚ if not longer.

"These are things that happen in the game. I would like to believe that my relationship with him is going to be strong. I know that my relationship with the people at the club is still going to be strong.

"But it’s never good losing your coach. You heard that even from Stan Matthews. It’s just a harsh reality.”

Tinkler said that he thought about the offer for “a couple” of days before agreeing on a three-year deal with SuperSport.

• Chiefs parts ways with coach after a disappointing season 

But he disputes that money was the biggest motivation for him to switch allegiances.

“It’s the success and the ambition of the club that lured me here‚” Tinkler said.

“Not to say that Cape Town City are not ambitious. Don’t get me wrong.

"They are an extremely ambitious club and they have an ambitious boss in John Comitis. But I think that for the progress of my career‚ this was a great move.

"You see the progress of guys like Gavin Hunt and Pitso Mosimane. Pitso started here and look at where he has gone. I don’t want to emulate them. I want to better them if possible.”

Bettering or following in the footsteps of Mosimane would mean also going to Bafana like he did after SuperSport.

• Howe about that? Rantie shorter than he looked 

“I would love to coach Bafana‚” Tinkler said.

“But I have come out and said that I haven’t reached the level to coach them. I still have things that I would like to achieve as a coach before I can think of that. I think that at this club that I can do that.”

Tinkler will keep the same technical team that Stuart Baxter had‚ assisted by Kaitano Tembo while Andre Arendse continues to serve as the goalkeeper coach.

The only person that Tinkler will bring is a conditioning coach.

Tembo will continue to lead Matsatsantsa in the Confederation Cup where the club has three more games to go in the group stage.

If they reach the quarterfinals‚ that’s when Tinkler – who reached the final of this tournament in 2015 with Orlando Pirates – will take charge of the team in the continent.

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport