Vladislav Heric has revealed that he is on a “very short-term agreement” as coach of Chippa United, ahead of Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final against Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.

Both TTM and Chippa will contest their first cup final at Free State Stadium.

Chippa appear to have dropped the pretence that Heric, who has clearly been serving the head coaching duties on the bench in three matches for his new team, joined as a “technical advisor”.

Heric revealed as he prepares to take charge of what is also his first cup final for the club he also previously coached in a short stints in 2014 and 2018 that he has signed a short-term deal with Chippa chairman Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi.

The Serbian nationality long-time SA resident and ex-Maritzburg United, Black Leopards and Polokwane City coach suggested the contract could be on a month-to-month basis.

“Look, I have a very short-term agreement with my chairman,” Heric said, asked about his relationship with the notoriously trigger-happy Mpengesi, and if he does not fear a third quick dismissal at the club.

“We didn’t want to plan anything for the future – we just agreed that I am going to be here until the right moment comes for us to talk.

“My mandate is to win the cup and save the club, which I believe that I am capable of, and I believe that we can achieve this together.

“On the other side the chairman has a very good heart, and his family also. I actually like these people, although I have been cross at him several times – he fired me once without a reason.

“But he might also tell you that he doesn’t know why he fired me, because that’s what he explained to every one of us.

“But, anyway, I have no issues with my chairman. From the other side I am very grateful that he called me again.

“And I jumped at that opportunity to win the trophy for Gqeberha and for the Eastern Cape. And actually maybe that played the main role for me to accept the challenge.”

Heric also said he bears no personal grudge against TTM, the club that gained entry to the Premiership when Lawrence Mulaudzi bought the franchise of Bidvest Wits at the end of 2019-20, and has since been sold to a third owner in the space of nine months, Abram Sello.

Heric had taken a case of outstanding payment, reportedly demanding more than R6-million, to global body Fifa from when he was fired from the Limpopo team in the GladAfrica Championship in 2019-20.

“The fact that I worked at TTM and we ended up in arbitration is not right – it’s not good for both sides. But there’s nothing between me and TTM now because it’s a new owner and that [new] man did nothing wrong to me,” the coach said.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to go all-out to try and win this game and beat them. Not with the extra motivation because it’s TTM. But it could be whoever, it could be Real Madrid I would try to win this game, a final for all of us together.

“The Fifa thing has been called off and actually this thing has been sorted now, so my lawyer sorted all of these things out and we are OK.”

Saturday’s will be one of the lowest-profile Nedbank finals there has been between PSL relegation-battlers Chippa (14th place) and TTM (15th).