Despite his struggles when he coached in the Premiership, Romain Folz has made a big claim about his impact in the league.
During his time in Mzansi's top flight, Folz coached at Marumo Gallants and AmaZulu respectively.
At Gallants, he oversaw six matches, drew five and lost one. While with AmaZulu, the French-Moroccan won four, drew nine and lost six in 19 matches in all competitions before he went on to have a stint with Horoya AC in Guinea earlier this season.
The 33-year-old discusses his new role at FIFA, his philosophy and experiences around Africa.
The Good
"So, after I left South Africa I went on to coach another big African club, that I thank for the opportunity. This journey has now ended and as much as I respect the club, I disagree with how things are run over there, it's as simple as that. On the football side of things, which should always be the priority, all went extremely well with the players and staff. You can ask most local staff members, all players, and fans, they were all very sad when I had to leave, I understand. It's unfortunate it didn't last longer. I believe everything happens for a reason. So, yes, it's unfortunate, but it's life. I am now contracted and working for FIFA. It was my original plan immediately after I left South Africa as they have been in touch with me for quite some time now. I am very proud to be part of such a huge organisation, of course. I have a prestigious role, working with federations and national teams to develop and make football better around the world. I am honoured and I appreciate the fact that they showed great desire to hire me and count me in their ranks. I admire Arsene Wenger and wanted to be part of his project in the FIFA high-performance department. I love South Africa, the country and the people are amazing. It's a football country, with amazing fans. I have a special relationship with AmaZulu fans, from which I still receive positive messages to this day. They are fantastic people and I truly love them. Even Chiefs and Pirates fans for example, I always had great interactions with them. They are absolutely amazing. I also have a great relationship with my two presidents Abram Sello from Marumo Gallants, and Sandile Zungu from AmaZulu, especially Mr. Zungu. He is a great man, he knows what I think about him and I have so much respect for him," said Folz.
The Bad
"I don't like nonsense. I know exactly what I'm doing and everything I do is well detailed, with a clear purpose. I know that my profile brings lots of talk and discussions, I have been the youngest head coach in history of three different professional leagues, I am used to it. I don't feel pressure nor anything linked to it. So, yes, my profile is special, but it's not a bad thing. If anything, it's a very good thing and a big strength. I know where I come from, I am from the people. No one gave me anything. That's why humility is the most important thing to me and I expect that from people around me. I have principles, and sometimes it goes against people's interest, but I won't change. I would much rather be hated for what I am than loved for something that I am not," he said.
The Ugly
"When it comes to the experiences I had in South Africa so far, I think it's important to understand one very important point. There are key moments to fix issues. The most important thing is to identify the issues, not everyone does nor is able to do it. I can and I did it perfectly both times. It depends on what you find in the first place when joining a new project, it is often different than the outside analysis you might have established before arriving. It will then determine when the correct time is to fix the issues that are restricting the club. For Gallants, everything was getting fixed and things were coming along nicely. We were playing very well and would have done a great season. For AmaZulu, after evaluating the situation, we needed to get to the end of the season to then fix the identified issues, any time earlier would not have been the correct moment. It was all clear and well documented. Everything was planned, and I am positive it would have worked very well then. I never had the problems you might have read. Only some media things orchestrated by three to four people to protect their own interests. With me, nonsense is not tolerated. Sometimes people don't like that and I understand that. But I don't have time for people bringing nonsense, especially if you want immediate success. But to sum it up, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about South Africa and I only have good things to say. When the time is right, I will be back in South Africa," concluded Folz.
What did you think of AmaZulu's performances under Folz?
