Former Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer’s return to the DStv Premiership is on the cards ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Zinnbauer left the Buccaneers before the 2021/22 campaign started. The club’s management subsequently handed over the reins to assistants Fadlu Davids and Mandla Ncikazi.
The two were co-coaches that entire season, guiding the Soweto giants to the CAF Confederation Cup final.
SHORTLIVED LOKOMOTIV RETURN
The German then landed a plum job with Russian giants FC Lokomotiv Moscow, where he reunited with Davids.
However, their stay in Russia was short-lived after a string of poor results. Lokomotiv Moscow relieved Zinnbauer of his duties as head coach just a week after Fadlu Davids arrived at the club.
This was after their 4-0 loss at the hands of Sochi. And now, a move back to the PSL is imminent for the 2020 MTN8 Cup-winning coach.
Richards Bay are closing in on the 53-year-old mentor as they prepare for their second season in the topflight.
The KZN side gained promotion to the DStv Premiership ahead of the just-ended season. After a strong start, they struggled in the second half of the season, eventually finishing 13th.
At some point, they were second behind Mamelodi Sundowns before the second-round slump. The Natal Rich Boyz won eight, drew seven, and lost just three of their opening 18 matches.
In February, they hit a slump, going on a streak of eight successive losses. In fact, in their last 15 matches [in all competitions], they failed to pick a win.
JOSEF ZINNBAUER PSL RETURN
Meanwhile, Richards Bay coach Vasili Manousakis is out of contract at the end of June. FARPost can reveal that the club is yet to commit to extending his stay at the helm.
Instead, the club has been in talks with Zinnbauer and according to sources, the two parties are close to agreeing on a deal to bring the German back to South Africa.
“The chairman has been in talks with Zinnbauer, and everything is on course. He’s keen on a return to South Africa. The idea is to have him come and take charge of the preseason,” the source told FARPost.
When he abruptly left the Bucs, the former Hamburg and St Gallen boss cited “family reasons”. This was months after his son had a serious accident.
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