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Ertugral angered by Overmars

Cape Town - Turkey's Muhsin Ertugral says he was angered by comments made by Ajax Amsterdam's director of football Marc Overmars after his appointment as Ajax Cape Town coach.

Ertugral, 53, was appointed as Ajax's technical director last month, and when coach Jan Versleijen resigned, the Turk was also named head coach.

However, the decision to bring Ertugral back for his third stint at the club has upset the Dutch giants, who own a majority share in the club.

Ajax Amsterdam's animosity towards Ertugral stems from his decision to ditch Ajax early in the 2009/10 campaign to join Turkish club Sivasspor.

Overmars, following the appointment of Ertugral, said: "That Ajax Cape Town created a position at the club of technical director to go above the coach without consulting us creates a big problem. They seem to forget that we have 51% of the shares."

Ertugral told the Cape Times that he was upset by former Ajax Amsterdam and Arsenal great Overmars's comments.

"I have to watch my words, but it made me angry what Marc Overmars said from his chair on that side, not knowing anything (about) what's going on at the club. I don’t think he has ever had a ticket to come to South Africa to watch some games.

"A coach needs to understand the way of South African football. We know he (Overmars) was a great football player, but it doesn't mean that you know how to kick a ball from A to B, you know certain things other things."

Ertugral though is on the verge of steering the club to safety, after it at one stage looked like they may be relegated from the PSL. Ajax are unbeaten in three games since Ertugral took over. They beat likely champions Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in his first game in charge.

A 1-1 draw against Maritzburg United last weekend, coupled with Chippa United in 15th spot securing a 2-2 draw against University of Pretoria, mean Ajax need just one point at home against Golden Arrows this weekend to retain their top-flight status.

Their game against Arrows at Athlone Stadiums kicks off at 15:00 on Saturday.

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