Sacked Leopards coach now asks for ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ with club
Sacked AFC Leopards coach Ivan Minnaert has broken his silence terming his dismissal as “illegal wrongful, unfair and inhumane.”
But the Belgian is ready to find an agreement with the club’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to review his case.
In a strongly worded statement sent to the Daily Nation through his lawyer Guandaru Thuita, Minnaert said that he is keen on having a gentlemen’s agreement with the club’s NEC.
“From a plain reading of NEC letter, it is apparent that NEC neither found him culpable on any of the allegations made in the Notice to Show Cause nor was there a finding that alleged undesirable results were as a result of his own failings. In the circumstances then and without any adverse findings against him in person, NEC had no basis for terminating our client contract in the manner that it did,” the lawyer said.
“It is our client’s believe (sic) that he has been maliciously dragged through a stage-managed disciplinary inquiry and the action to dismiss him was illegal wrongful, unfair and inhumane,” he added.
The coach’s lawyer further stated that as a result of the unlawful termination Minnaert he will suffer abrupt loss of income, damage to his reputation and expenses in staying in Kenya to follow up on his dues.
DISAPPOINTING CAMPAIGN
“Therefore my client will try find an agreement with Nec to review his case or to have a gentlemen’s agreement with Nec, the will of my client is not to start a war against AFC Leopards,” he stated.
Minnaert was sacked last week by the club’s NEC which cited dismal run by club in the league during the coach’s short-lived tenure.
His dismal came after the club was tossed out of the GOtv-Shied following a 0-3 loss to Western Stima at the Mumias Complex.
In justifying the sacking, the club, in a letter addressed to Minnaert on August, 31, 2016 said:
“The National Executive Committee having heard you and in view of the undesirable results that the team continues to post, we have been left with no alternative but to terminate your contract as per clause 7(b) and 7(c) of the employment contact signed by yourself as our head coach.”
Ingwe, which is currently placed 10th in the 16-team log, has had a wobbly run garnering 29 points from 23 games and are set to end another disappointing campaign without a silverware.
