Gavin Hunt has launched a scathing attack on coaches who hug their players, labelling it as ‘false’ and ‘a lot of bullsh*t’.
The SuperSport United coach made the comments in an interview with Peter Du Toit on his YouTube Channel, This Is Football Africa.
Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola has made hugging players fashionable. Locally, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena seemingly shares a close relationship with his players and often hugs them after games.
“I hate these coaches, and I won’t mention names. They hug the players. It’s all for show. It’s all a lot of bullsh-t,” Hunt said.
GAVIN HUNT USES THE SIR ALEX FERGUSON EXAMPLE
The veteran coach insinuated that when their teams lose, those coaches never hug the players. He went on to use Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the most successful football coaches in the club football’s history, as an example.
Sir Alex, who won over 50 trophies as a manager, including 13 league titles, was known for his firm hand on players.
“When they lose, are they hugging their players? No, you don’t see them hugging the players. So we’ve got to have a good relationship, yes we’ve got to have a good environment where we’re all working towards a common goal. I don’t like to be false with a player. I see this guy, I never saw Sir Alex Ferguson hug his players,” added Hunt.
Interestingly, a groundbreaking study by Penny Werthner on the 2008 Canadian Olympic team sheds new light on the factors that drive athlete performance.
The study found the most significant contributor to a medal-winning performance or personal best was a productive coach-athlete relationship.
Hunt’s remarks have been met with mixed reactions. Some have praised him for his honesty, while others have accused him of being disrespectful to his fellow coaches. The comments are sure to spark further debate about the role of coaches in modern football.
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