Gor Mahia now eyeing Brazilian tactician to fill Frank Nuttall void

Gor Mahia are reportedly in talks with two foreign coaches following the dramatic exit of Frank Nuttall on Monday.

The club hopes to hire either Brazilian José Marcelo Ferreira “Zé Maria” or Spaniard Antonio Flores in the next few weeks, Daily Nation Sport understands.

Ze Maria is a former Brazilian international who turned out for several clubs, among them Parma and Inter Milan, in Italian Serie A during his playing career.

The 42-year-old is relatively inexperienced as far as coaching is concerned but K’Ogalo leadership feels he has what it takes to guide the Kenyan champions to further glory.

Nuttall joined K’Ogalo in August 2014, presiding over 44 league matches where he won 30, drew 12 and lost two. He won four trophies; two league titles, a Top Eight Cup and a Super Cup.

Daily Nation Sport has reliably learnt that the club leadership held a meeting on Monday evening when it emerged that Nuttall had ditched Gor for Egyptian powerhouse Zamalek where he is set to deputise Briton Alex Mcleish.

“Yes, we had a meeting and the name of the Brazilian was floated, though we did not conclude the matter,” a member of the executive, who requested anonymity as he’s not authorised to speak on the matter, said.

Contacted, club boss Ambrose Rachier could not confirm or deny this. “It is difficult to talk about this matter because I do know what the official position (on Nuttall) is because there is no official communication. I could not reach him yesterday. I also checked at the training ground and he was not there. It makes me happy that he’s gone without us sacking him.

“You don’t just wake up one morning and fly out. It means he’d planned all this. I’ll call a committee meeting to discuss the matter.”

PLANNED HIS EXIT

Nuttall started plotting his exit after he fell out with the management on a number of issues as well as losing the support of his players.

Prior to his departure, he had signed a new deal that was to run until January 2017. Under the new package, he was entitled to Sh990, 000 monthly salary.

The figure covered his monthly basic pay of Sh750,000, Sh120,000 in house allowance amongst other benefits. The new deal was agreed on after the coming on board of sponsors SportPesa.

Prior to that, he had been asked to take a 50 per cent pay cut, a directive that did not go down well with him. In fact, the club fired him last month only to reinstate him due to public pressure.

Last term, as K‘Ogalo steamrolled all before them to claim the gong unbeaten, the Scot was a popular figure amongst club’s faithful. He also enjoyed a cordial relationship with the club leadership but things went south when he differed with Rachier.

The bad blood between them, according to sources, began in December last year when the coach stormed Rachier’s law firm demanding his salary arrears.

And matters turned ugly when he had an altercation with senior players, notably Boniface Oluoch, Karim Nizigiyimana and Musa Mohamed.

His patronising demeanour and bust-up with players made him lose the dressing room and it reached a point where the players were no longer listening to him.

The relationship with the players continued to deteriorate after his much publicised bust-up with Oluoch in the wake of the 2-1 home defeat to CNaPS of Madagascar last month at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Nuttall's exit came a day after Gor lost 1-0 to bitter rivals AFC Leopards in the Mashemeji derby at Kasarani which left the defending champions winless in four league encounters this term.