Swedish coach keen to replace Nabi at Chiefs – ‘I could be a good fit’

Swedish coach Melke Alan has made himself available for the Kaizer Chiefs job following confirmation that coach Nasreddine Nabi is on his way out of the club.

Chiefs announced on Friday that talks are underway with the Tunisian tactician over his future, all but confirming widespread reports that the two parties have agreed to part ways.

That has opened the door for other candidates with or without a job and among those who have openly expressed a desire to coach Chiefs is Swedish tactician Melke Alan.

Speaking to Soccer Laduma, the 50-year-old UEFA Pro License holder explained what makes Chiefs unique and how the club could achieve success with him in charge.

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“I do believe that a team like Kaizer Chiefs is very unique in terms of what they have achieved in South African football,” Alan told the outlet.

“That is something that a coach needs to respect and build from. I understand that for a coach to succeed at a big club like that, one has to do the right analysis. If you are a good analyst, you can produce the right results, but if you fail to read situations correctly, then chances are you will make wrong decisions.”

The former Djurgarden and AFC Eskilstuna coach enumerated the importance of finding the right balance between attack and defence plus how the team could find other ways of winning even when not playing at their best.

“You cannot only practice defence or only offence – you must work on transitions too,” he added.

“The principles must be clear so that everyone in the team understands their role. This creates confidence and builds a winning mentality. As a coach, you have to bring everyone with you – staff, players, and the club – because it doesn’t work if people are divided.”

Alan feels he has what it takes for Chiefs job

Alan, however, fell short of admitting that he has applied for the job but remains open to taking the hot seat at Naturena now that there is soon-to-be a vacancy.

“It’s not my job to chase assignments, that’s for my agent and the people who connect me to clubs,” Alan further said.

“But if Kaizer Chiefs are interested in my profile, I would be glad to sit down and listen. Chiefs are a big club with a big history. For me, it’s like working with a national team, and I’ve been in that environment before. It’s a project I believe could be a good fit, and I would be honoured to help take the club back to its glory days.”

Alan has extensive experience in coaching both senior and junior teams, having first worked at Swedish third tier club Orebro Syrianska IF in 1997.