Management Also To Blame For Relegation?
The 14th of June 2023 marked the end of Maritzburg United's 15-year topflight tenure after the club was relegated. The Team of Choice finished second in the relegation/promotion play-offs with seven points, with Cape Town Spurs instead promoted to the DStv Premiership after picking up 10 points. Maritzburg were last relegated in the 2006/07 season and managed to claw their way back to the elite division at the end of the 2007/08 campaign. While club chairman Farook Kadodia has blamed now former head coach Fadlu Davids and the players for the status quo, sources close to the side have indicated that the boss and his management also have to take a hard look in the mirror for some of the decisions made throughout the unsuccessful campaign.
What The Siya Crew Has Been Told…
Fingers are being pointed at club chairman Farook Kadodia and his management for the relegation of Maritzburg United from the DStv Premiership, the Siya crew has learnt. Sources close to the Pietermaritzburg club have told this publication that the problems started when Kadodia and the board of directors decided against keeping Ernst Middendorp after the experienced German coach led the team to a 12th place finish at the end of the 2021/22 season. The Team of Choice replaced Middendorp with John Maduka in what sources have described as a big gamble by the club.
"Maritzburg made a mistake by firing Ernst Middendorp because he was doing well to improve the team. Yes, the team might have finished in 12th place under him in his last season with the club, but there was improvement and the team was organised," said a source.
"The chairman may point at this and that, but the main problem for the club was getting rid of Middendorp. He is an experienced coach who understands the team well and he had a plan to improve the side, but the chairman and the board thought otherwise," the source said. According to sources, replacing Middendorp with Maduka was a cost-cutting exercise by the club, which backfired as the Malawian struggled for results. As a result, the former Bloemfontein Celtic coach was relieved of his duties in November, having joined in June, and was replaced by Fadlu Davids. "The appointment of John Maduka as a replacement for Middendorp was a way for the club to cut costs. The club thought that he would do well like he did at Royal AM in the previous season and he wasn't expensive as the experienced Middendorp. But the results were not forthcoming under him and changes had to be made," the source added.
In his interview in edition 1281 of Soccer Laduma, Middendorp explained how he had planned for the season bearing in mind that there was going to be a break for the FIFA World Cup last year. "I was looking forward to the season. You know, it's going to be a special season and you have to prepare very well. We were talking about block periodization and all these things because you have to start on the 12th of August with the PSL and there's a FIFA date in September and the first half of the season has to come to an end on the 6th of November. "The last day of playing a PSL game is the 6th of November because of the World Cup. Nobody can play after the 6th of November and we will have to start again on the 7th of January and that means it will be a complete two months with no games. By then, teams will have played in the MTN8, FIFA matches, as well as the first half of the season and that means there will be a very special block of fixtures on weekends and during the week. That will need to have the players prepared adequately during pre-season. We had hoped to start preparing players for pre-season from the beginning of July and that is something we worked on already (giggling). After we had our last match on the 24th (of May) and finalised (for the previous season) as the technical team, I got a call on the 7th of June…," the coach said, in part.
"The appointment of Fadlu Davids was a gamble too. He is a good coach, but maybe the timing for him to join the club was not right. Maybe if he had joined the club at the beginning of the season, things would have worked. Also, some of the decisions he made with regards the players that were released on his arrival were questionable," the source said. "Another big problem for Maritzburg is that the club likes to sell its best players and usually the replacements are not as good. The club's decision to release experienced players like Clayton Daniels and Nazeer Allie at the end of last season didn't make sense. Those are the players that should have been retained because of their experience and they would have formed the core of the team. Letting go of them has come back to haunt the team as their experience proved to be vital for Cape Town Spurs in their promotion push during the play-offs," the source concluded.
What Are The Facts?
As the chairman of the club, Kadodia has appeared to be in denial about the mistakes made in preparing for the season. Instead of admitting to the lacklustre season the Team of Choice has had, he has blamed the players for betrayal for the team's relegation. Surprisingly, the club boss is also blaming Davids when he is the one who appointed him in the first place to be in charge of a R50 million worth of topflight status. In 30 matches in the 2022/23 season, the side won only seven, drew nine and lost 14, with the team finishing 15th on the DStv Premiership log. The 0-0 draw against Spurs in the final match of the playoffs put the final nail in the coffin for the club and Kadodia was visibly disappointed with the turn of events. The chairman issued a statement criticising the players for relegation. "To all the valued supporters and stakeholders of our esteemed team, Wednesday, the 14th of June, will forever be remembered as a somber night in our football history, spanning two decades," read the statement. "It was an evening when, despite the presence of 12,000 passionate fans at our renowned Harry Gwala Stadium, which had been hailed as an impenetrable fortress for visiting teams until this season, we regrettably succumbed to the despairing fate of relegation.
"To the members of the board, it was a moment of disappointment, as the inability to score even a single goal came at a significant financial cost of R50 million. "To our city, over the course of two decades, we had strived to provide captivating entertainment that brought together diverse cultures with love and passion. Unfortunately, we fell short in delivering at the crucial moment. "To the players, we felt betrayed by a few individuals whose questionable concessions of goals during the critical stages of our battle for survival proved detrimental. "The absence of an attacking approach in search of a winning goal was overshadowed by unappealing defensive tactics. "It is disheartening to realize that you unwittingly assisted those who hindered our progress, even as the club diligently fulfilled its obligation to honor your contracts and provide timely salary payments. "This was particularly challenging as reports surfaced of numerous teams facing their own difficulties in meeting payroll obligations. "Undoubtedly, this season presented us with a multitude of obstacles, yet we failed to rise to the occasion as we had consistently done, especially in the previous playoff and our resilient fight against Jomo Cosmos in 2016. "Despite being given a chance to redeem ourselves in the playoff and receiving what could be considered a divine intervention for the club, some individuals had alternative motives that diverted us from our path. "However, it is imperative that we leave the past behind us. Let us remain united and exhibit unwavering determination to reclaim our rightful place in the football hierarchy," concluded the statement.
The Story Behind The Scenes
Fresh Start And Overhaul Looms
Following the club's relegation, Maritzburg are unlikely to retain the core of the squad from this past season, according to sources. With the likes of Karim Kimvuidi and Rowan Human linked with clubs in the DStv Premiership, they is expected to listen to offers for the star players in order to cash in as that will be vital for the team's preparations for the new season. Indications from sources are that the club will look to overhaul the squad taking into consideration that there is also the U23 rule to consider in the second tier. With Kadodia blaming some of the players for the club's relegation, expect to see several changes at the Team of Choice for the 2023/24 campaign.
Buying A Franchise Could Be An Option
Depending on the plans in the coming weeks, buying a topflight status could be an option. However, that would depend on the availability of a status and the terms and conditions that come with it. In recent weeks, Maritzburg's provincial neighbours Richards Bay FC have reportedly been keen to sell. It is believed that the club is looking in the region of R62 million to sell. While Maritzburg might first want to try get back to the topflight through the field of play, buying a status could be an option if things don't go according to plan at the end of the new season. They might not need to look further than Spurs to see how difficult it can be to get back from the second tier after it took the Mother City outfit all of five years. Selling could be another option In recent years, Maritzburg have been linked with selling their status, although the club dismissed the reports. Depending on how the team does in the second tier, Kadodia might consider selling if it proves to be costly to run the club in that division. It remains to be seen if the stakeholders will stand by the club as that could also have an impact on the decision to sell the club. What is clear is that there are difficult decisions to be made by the club in the coming days, with Davids and his technical team already shown the door, with some players set to be released. That could then have an impact on whether the chairman will consider selling after this season if things don't go according to plan.
Secret Agent
The Siya crew spoke to a top agent in SA to get their expert understanding on what's going on. For obvious reasons, the agent will remain anonymous.
"In this situation, all that Maritzburg need to do is to regroup and come back strong. I would wish for the club to try and retain their top players, although that would be difficult to do. Should they be able to do so, it would allow for continuity and that would help in the fight to return to the topflight. You can't help it but feel for the people of Pietermaritzburg, who have stood by the club through thick and thin. Friday nights will not be the same at the Harry Gwala Stadium. I wish the club everything of the best."
Watch This Space
Running a professional football club has proved to be costly for some businesspeople and it is even worse when a club gets relegated from the top league. But with proper planning, anything is possible. Farook Kadodia and the board of directors will need a proper plan to ensure that the club returns soon as staying in the second tier for long could spell disaster. Judging by his comment in the statement he issued about reclaiming their rightful place in the football hierarchy, it sounds like the chairman has a plan to get the club back to the elite league, but of course, we'll have to wait and see.
