Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp warns that anyone stepping into Naturena must master the club’s pressure, history, and massive supporter expectations.
Another technical change is looming at Naturena. Under the co-coaching of Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze since October 2025, Kaizer Chiefs have recorded 9 wins, 7 draws, and 9 defeats across 25 total matches.
The most recent run has seen five losses in their last six outings, including a 3-0 Soweto Derby defeat to Orlando Pirates.
Also read: No Kaizer Chiefs players in latest 37-man Bafana Bafana squad
ERNST MIDDENDORP SPEAKS OUT AS KAIZER CHIEFS BEGIN SEARCH FOR A NEW COACH
Middendorp, who coached Amakhosi to second place before losing the league title on the final day in 2019/20, has described Kaizer Chiefs as a “MONSTER of a CLUB.”
The 67-year-old German said that anyone wanting to coach the team must understand the magnitude of the Naturena environment.
He pointed out that the club carries enormous history, a massive supporter base across the country, constant media attention, and permanent pressure for results. Every decision, he said, is dissected publicly, and any weakness is exposed almost instantly.
“To operate in such an environment, a coach needs real expertise, emotional resilience, strong leadership, and an unbeatable confidence,” Middendorp said on his LinkedIn account. “He must have the ability to remain calm under pressure, show conviction in his work, and make decisions with authority.
“A certain stubbornness in a positive sense is evident, the courage to stand by your football ideas when the noise around the team becomes overwhelming,” the former Kaizer Chiefs mentor added.
He also highlighted the critical responsibility of assessing players honestly. The former coach believes that understanding what each player can truly deliver, their strengths, limitations, and consistency, is the foundation of building any squad.
MORE ON BUILDING A SQUAD
Middendorp warned that coaching isn’t about chasing dreams or pleasing public expectations; it’s about working with reality and structuring the team based on the players available.
“This means coaching is not about following dreams, wishes, or public expectations. It is about working with reality,” he added. “The team structure must come from the individual capacities of the players available, not from theoretical ideas that do not match the squad.
“Even innovative concepts can emerge from this process. In certain situations, a “helicopter concept” or other unconventional structures may develop simply because the coach has carefully analysed the players and tries to organise them in a way that maximises their strengths and protects their weaknesses,” Middendorp concluded.
Meanwhile, Middendorp is currently in between jobs after leaving Durban City as a Technical Director in February.
Also read: Reports: Kaizer Chiefs begin talks with French coach
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