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Johannesburg - Orlando Pirates chairperson Irvin Khoza has sent a clear message to the club's supporters about the possibility of former coach, Ruud Krol, returning to the Soweto giants.
This follows the abrupt resignation of head coach, Muhsin Ertugral, earlier this week.
Buccaneers fans have been longing for the return of the iconic Dutch tactician, who guided Pirates to their first ever domestic treble following a tough 10-year period without tasting cup success.
Krol departed at the end of the 2010/11 season.
Following a humiliating 6-1 defeat at the hands of SuperSport United on Tuesday evening, Ertugral announced on live television that he would tender his resignation to Khoza.
On Wednesday, Pirates called an urgent press conference to announce the former Ajax Cape Town's coach departure.
Khoza, 68, insisted that the Pirates institution gave Krol a platform to thrive and he has not done much since he left for Tunisia five years ago.
The chairperson further revealed that despite Ertugral’s sudden resignation, the club does not regret hiring the Turkish-born mentor as the management was willing to be patient with him.
“I don’t regret any appointment. We don’t fire coaches here,” Khoza told reporters.
“The history and the support base here is heavy, so we try by all means and be patient. No coach is spoilt for choice like a Pirates coach.
“People are calling for Ruud Krol, but they forget it was a structure that allowed him to thrive. After Krol left, Julio Leal came and won the treble, that’s our structure.
“The coaches that people are calling for, what have they achieved since leaving what they did here?”
Khoza also stressed that he had no choice but to accept Ertugral’s resignation letter after he made his public announcement.
The "Iron Duke" outlined that he always persuades his coaches to stay on when they opt to give up.
"I never want to see my coaches resigning. I always convince them to stay," Khoza said.
"That’s what is difficult with this one, I really had no choice but it’s not nice to lose a coach at this time of the season.
"You can’t determine the coach's success or failures after seven games, the coach comes with a plan so we let him work and interrogate it later.
"Some coaches wanted to resign in the past and I convinced them otherwise and they ended up playing the CAF Champions league."
Head of the Pirates development academy, Augusto Palacios, has been announced as coach on an interim bases.
Meanwhile, the Sea Robbers will hope to progress to the next stage of the Telkom Knockout when they face Highlands Park in a quarter-final clash on Saturday.
Kick off is at 20:00.
