NEWLY appointed Bloemfontein Celtic coach, Luc Eymael, says he won’t achieve his objective of helping the side avoid relegation without commitment from players.
Eymael joined the struggling side on a two-and-half-year deal on Friday after his resignation as Polokwane City coach. Celtic have been without a coach since Serame Letsoaka’s departure in last October, following a string of poor results.
Realising that Lehlohonolo Seema and John Maduka were struggling to ignite the club on a caretaker basis, management moved swiftly to bring Eymael on board.
Eymael dropped a bombshell on City after he guided them to the last 16 round of the Nedbank Cup on Tuesday, following a 3-0 hammering of ABC Motsepe League minnows, African All Stars.
He helped City surpass management’s expectations to occupy 7th spot on the Premiership table.
Said Eymael: “It’s a big challenge and a risk to take on a team at the bottom. I know how to use players on the pitch.I also know the league and each player. But you don’t get results without hard work, commitment and being responsive to the system.”
Added Eymael: “What can a coach do with players who refuse to remain humble? I’ll give them all the tools to add value to the team. They also need to strive for success.”
Eymael told SunSport he turned down lucrative offers from the continent and Europe in favour of the PSL, for the love of the country.
“I got good offers from Tunisia and other overseas clubs. But I turned them down because I wanted to continue working here.”