The power play at Mamelodi Sundowns could determine the calibre of a head coach they appoint following a revelation by former coach Rulani Mokwena.
The Sporting Director phenomenon is relatively new in the PSL, as club owners usually and historically have had the final say on important football matters such transfers and coaches reported directly to management over technical issues. That is still the case in the majority of clubs.
Head coaches of clubs in South African football over the years have had little control over the decision-making processes relating to the team.
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However, at Sundowns things changed at least from the time they appointed former coach Pitso Mosimane in 2012, who had the so-called carte blanche on the running of the team in relation to technical matters and crucially on transfers.
Mosimane's freedom over technical matters ended in 2019 after the Tshwane giants appointed Jose Ramon Alexanko as Head of Technical.
After the arrival of Alexanko, the former Bafana Bafana coach was mandated to report to the Spaniard on a regular basis, on technical matters such as match reports, a reality which played it's part in a strained relationship between the outspoken coach and the Sundowns board and Mosimane's ultimate departure in October 2020.
As reported by various publications, Mokwena's controversial exit at Sundowns allegedly had to do with a power struggle against current Sporting Director Flemming Berg, who has more powers over technical matters.
READ | Another departure at Sundowns
Kickoff has been led to believe that the Brazilians are currently actively engaging potential candidates for their head coach position.
What will be crucial in appointing Mokwena's successor and the calibre of a coach they would attract, could come down to who ultimately has the final say on technical issues, the head coach or the Sporting Director?
The 37-year-old mentor has revealed that his new employers, Wydad Casablanca, have given him free reign, including the hiring of a technical director.
"What is very interesting is that the president [of Wydad] showed me, they were actually in negotiations with three technical directors, not sporting directors and he showed me the messages, 'Sorry guys, you'll have to be interviewed by the new coach and the new coach must approve'," Mokwena revealed in interview on Radio 2000.
"It's crazy. So I don't have a sporting director [at Wydad]. I don't have a technical director but if we do get one, it will be because we sat down and I've interviewed him. That responsibility fortunately has been given to us, to be able to choose. [Roberto] De Zerbi did it at Olympique Marseille.
"And the truth of the matter is world wide, actually the Sporting Director either works very closely and parallel with the coach or works under the coach. [The] Sporting Director is never above the coach in football clubs," Mokwena added.
Mokwena also runs the rule over the transfer of players at the Casablanca giants, which played a big part in the Soweto native coach putting pen to paper.