Former Magesi FC coach Clinton Larsen has revealed he is not fascinated about coaching Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, or Mamelodi Sundowns to prove his credentials.
The former Bucs player helped Dikwena Tsa Meetse get promoted to the Premier Soccer League for the ongoing 2024/25 edition. He then defied the odds by going all the way to winning the Carling Knockout in their first-ever attempt.
They set history by becoming the first timers to get promoted from the lower tier and go all the way and win the annual competition. However, he quit the team after falling out with the management for unspecified reasons.
Larsen has been without a club since then, but in his recent interview with Far Post, the 54-year-old former midfielder made his point clear regarding coaching South Africa's biggest teams like Pirates, Chiefs, and Sundowns.
‘Memories last when you enjoy success with smaller teams'
“A lot of coaches, including local coaches, have had an opportunity to coach those clubs but have not won anything. At Kaizer Chiefs, Sundowns and Pirates, there are coaches who have been there and have not won anything. Maybe not at Sundowns, but I know the other [two] clubs, [it has happened],” Larsen stated.
“But I’ve always said this: football is my love and passion. I’m not obsessed with coaching in the PSL [top-flight]. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. I’m also not obsessed with coaching a big club. It would be nice one day if it happened, but for me, it’s not the most important thing because, as I said, it would be nice to test yourself as a coach with the caliber of players that these clubs have and see what you can do with such talented groups of players.
“Unfortunately, I’ve always coached small teams from Chippa [United], to [Golden] Arrows, to Maritzburg [United], to [Bloemfontein] Celtic, to Magesi. It has always been small to medium-sized clubs. But like I said, I’ve lived an underdog life since I was a kid, like most South Africans have. And for me, that’s something I really, really enjoy.
“When you enjoy success with smaller teams, it’s really memories that will last for the rest of your life,” Larsen concluded.
