EVEN today, Kaizer Chiefs supporters still can’t put their finger on why Stuart Baxter left the team during a highly successful tenure.
After parting ways, Baxter packed his bags for volatile Turkey, on what was to be his biggest challenge yet.
The SuperSport United coach lasted only three months at Gençlerbirliki SK in the Turkish Super League.
Baxter and Amakhosi are now a closed chapter. And he said he’s happy to be working in a safer and friendly environment, compared to his nightmare in Turkey – where his contract was terminated after the first two games of the season.
“Things are almost the same between here and Turkey. But over there, there’s a culture of shooting from the hip and fanatical supporters,” Baxter told SunSport this week.
“Football is very important to them, very much like South Africa.
“But from the management side, you never have time to build anything, unfortunately,” he went on.
Baxter added: “Here in Mzansi, we are along that road, but we’re not as far. Turkey was interesting. The annoying thing is that we were told that the job was a long project and then after a disappointment of a defeat, the president felt he had to change everything.
“They have also changed five coaches this year and the squad they have now is a completely different squad from what I had. “The coach is in hospital after he had a heart attack.”
Baxter refuted allegations he had a plan to take Itumeleng Khune, who was having contractual issues with Amakhosi, to Turkey with him at the time.
He said: “It was a fallacy. I was not interested in taking anyone – none of the players. But if Itu was available and I had the funds. I mean he’s a good player and I would be interested – but there was no budget to bring players to Turkey,” Baxter explained.
Since his return, Baxter has been in charge of United for two games – a draw and a loss against Bloemfontein Celtic and Ajax Cape Town.
Today, United will face University of Pretoria (3.30pm). Baxter went on: “It’s a huge challenge for me, but it’s not impossible for us to finish in the top eight. “The main concern for me is to stabilise the team. “Players’ confidence players is currently at an all-time low. And our aim is to help them to pick themselves up,” he said.
