Former Pretoria Callies boss Fabio Lopez has opened up about the circumstances surrounding his departure from South Africa after securing a new coaching role in the Liberian Premier League.
The Italian was recently appointed as head coach of Liberian champions FC Fassell. The former AS Roma youth academy coach spent a few months in the PSL at Motsepe Foundation Championship side, Callies.
He was also linked with a job at Black Leopards before the appointment of former Kaizer Chiefs striker Mabhuti Khenyeza as head coach.
However, the 52-year-old has now resurfaced in the West African country tasked with defending the league.
FORMER PRETORIA CALLIES COACH RESURFACES IN THE LIBERIAN PREMIER LEAGUE
“Last season was my first time working in the second division at Callies,” Lopez told FARPost.
“So, to have a chance to go back to the first division in a professional league was a good motivation. It was a very good chance because they are first in the league, and they are the champions of the league as well.”
WHAT FABIO LOPEZ SAYS ABOUT THE STANDARD OF FOOTBALL IN LIBERIA
“They had some small negative moments [at the beginning of the season]. The president [Anthony Cassell Kuoh] directly called me to ask if I felt like trying to come back to the top of the league. Now we are in seventh position. I still didn’t go to the bench.”
“Obviously, the people are very welcoming, very nice people. I feel good because the people are very kind, polite.”
On the challenges he added: “The thing that is missing is the infrastructure to be a very good league. The infrastructure in some areas is still not what it should be for the professional league.”
The title last season was the first in the history of the club. They were eliminated in the CAF Champions League qualifying round by Rulani Mokwena’s MC Alger.
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