Walter Zenga: Dhafra sacking harsh on Karabeg

Walter Zenga 12:03 02/10/2014
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  • Out the door: Anel Karabeg was sacked after four games of the new season.

    It was a big surprise to see Dhafra get rid of coach Anel Karabeg after only four games. This is only my opinion – they didn’t win any of their games, but they also didn’t lose.

    It is very strange, but this is the life of the coach. We know our fate.

    If you cannot accept it, you have to change your job.

    It is a shock.

    OK, you lose three or four games, fine.

    We are talking about Dhafra, a good club but not one who can compete for titles. Big decisions can often come when the transfer window is closing.

    We do not know the full story. It is an internal decision, you cannot judge or blame.

    I like to use the alternative English meaning for the word ‘coach’, which is an automobile, when describing the position – you take players from one place to another.

    The modern coach is more openminded than the previous generation. It is not enough simply to be good tactically. You must also build relations with the board, locker room and media.

    It is Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

    The job of a coach is no longer preparation – it is 360 degrees.

    You have to understand the window and take the right decisions. But my job is in the hands of someone else – the board, the players, the media.

    Sometimes you request a player to the board and you get someone else. Sometimes you request a player and the board deliver him.

    There is no 100 per cent logical rule to the transfer market. A coach has to accept this.

    Seasons start in different ways for each club. That is part of football – a coach or club has to find a solution. And what a strange round of games we have just seen.

    Who would have expected Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ahli to draw 0-0 at home to Ajman? No one.

    Who would have expected Jazira to draw 3-3 at Al Dhafra or Bani Yas to lose 3-2 at Emirates Club? This is football.

    Wow. Bani Yas’ loss to Emirates means coach Luis Garcia is yet to win during his four matches in charge.

    I don’t know if it is a question of Garcia needing time to adapt to his players, or that his players need time to adapt to him. One thing is for sure though, you are never given enough time in football.

    Speaking only from my own experience coaching on three continents and seven countries, every league has its own style.

    Look at my CV. I am Italian and people think that means I am defensive. But I have worked in so many different places now that your mind changes.

    If you want to play the Spanish style, then you need Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Every country has its own habit.

    All that is clear after this strange round is the next one will start to show definitively how the standings are to develop.

    With a break coming straight after for international games, the pressure is high to get a good result.

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