Desperate to avoid relegation, Black Leopards have strengthened their technical team by bringing in Kosta Papic as the club “technical manager”.
Serbian Papic is returning for his second spell, but this time as a technical manager to help Lehlohonolo Seema and his assistants Mongezi Bobe and Morgan Shivambu.
According to Lidoda Duvha general manager Tshifhiwa "Chief" Thidiela, Papic will be on the bench and be involved in day-to-day training with the club.
“We know that we have young coaches in Seema, Shivambu and Bobe, so we decided to rope in a technical manager to come obviously and bring knowledge to this young coaches as we plan for the future,” Thidiela told the media through a virtual conference yesterday.
“Our issue is not because we are occupying the dangerous position which threatens our survival in the Premier division, but is to plan. His responsibility would mainly be in charge of coaching or all the technical issues ... from the first team going down to development.”
Thidiela insisted that they were not bringing Papic to remove anyone in the technical team but to strengthen the side and add experience.
"Generally, in football when someone else is brought in, especially when we say technical manager or director, it becomes like a plan to try and move someone out.
“I think also, our technical team is still thin, and we would like to increase it further. The technical manager is the one who is going to advise where we need to bolster. It is just unfortunate that we had to lose another coach earlier, and it became a distraction for us and the team. We are not bringing him to try and move anyone out."
Seema said they were looking forward to learn from Papic. “To get coach Papic, it would be a lot of learning that we are going to have. We can only improve,” Seema said. “We are more than happy to have him around, and he has our support all the way ... we are still young.”
Leopards' next match is against Baroka in the Limpopo derby at Peter Mokaba Stadium tomorrow (5pm).
Serbian will be on the bench from tomorrow
Leopards rope in Kosta Papic as 'technical manager'
Desperate to avoid relegation, Black Leopards have strengthened their technical team by bringing in Kosta Papic as the club “technical manager”.
Serbian Papic is returning for his second spell, but this time as a technical manager to help Lehlohonolo Seema and his assistants Mongezi Bobe and Morgan Shivambu.
According to Lidoda Duvha general manager Tshifhiwa "Chief" Thidiela, Papic will be on the bench and be involved in day-to-day training with the club.
“We know that we have young coaches in Seema, Shivambu and Bobe, so we decided to rope in a technical manager to come obviously and bring knowledge to this young coaches as we plan for the future,” Thidiela told the media through a virtual conference yesterday.
“Our issue is not because we are occupying the dangerous position which threatens our survival in the Premier division, but is to plan. His responsibility would mainly be in charge of coaching or all the technical issues ... from the first team going down to development.”
Thidiela insisted that they were not bringing Papic to remove anyone in the technical team but to strengthen the side and add experience.
"Generally, in football when someone else is brought in, especially when we say technical manager or director, it becomes like a plan to try and move someone out.
“I think also, our technical team is still thin, and we would like to increase it further. The technical manager is the one who is going to advise where we need to bolster. It is just unfortunate that we had to lose another coach earlier, and it became a distraction for us and the team. We are not bringing him to try and move anyone out."
Seema said they were looking forward to learn from Papic. “To get coach Papic, it would be a lot of learning that we are going to have. We can only improve,” Seema said. “We are more than happy to have him around, and he has our support all the way ... we are still young.”
Leopards' next match is against Baroka in the Limpopo derby at Peter Mokaba Stadium tomorrow (5pm).