Flemming Berg – What’s the ‘flaming’ deal about him?

Many are left wondering and guessing about the functions and duties of Mamelodi Sundowns’ sporting director, who was announced on Monday afternoon at the club’s base in Chloorkop. Flemming Berg is the man tasked with overseeing all of Masandawana’s teams and in this piece, he explains his jurisdiction and duties at large.

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The Dane was part of the scouting team that spotted defender David Luiz while playing for Benfica and lured him to English giants Chelsea as he spent a number of years as the Blues’ scout. Berg also spotted arguably one of the finest right-backs Chelsea has seen in Jose Bosingwa and he claims to have observed 2004 Uefa Champions League winner Benni McCarhy when he was playing for FC Port under Jose Mourinho.

Here we look at Berg’s manifesto and what he sets out to achieve at the defending DStv Premiership champions.

What is he all about?

“It will be through my work that you see my character and the things that I am going to put in the club in the coming years. I will be open to the press, I will be open to everyone, the coaches, the staff and everyone around the club. This is very important for me and it is the way I have done my work no matter where I have been. I have an open mind and I give everyone a chance to be part of the work that I do.”

Plans for Sundowns

“I will be proud of taking this club to new heights and be the best in Africa. I want to make Sundowns the best men’s senior team, I want them to have the best academy and the best ladies’ team. The best in the market and the best everywhere. That is the ambition and nothing else, that is where we are going to take this club.”

Fan engagement

“I cannot wait to meet the fans of the club who I have heard so much about. I was supposed to be here for the game (against Al-Merreikh) but my flight was canceled. One thing I can guarantee is that we will do the best we can for the fans and play in an attractive and positive way. We want to play football that will be enjoyable to everyone at the stadiums and on TV.”

Job description

“My job has a lot of things around it. You have the first team, the ladies’ team, the academy and medical department and a lot of parts of the club. The sports director’s job is to make sure that everyone can come out with the best that they have for themselves for the benefit of the club. That is actually my biggest ambition and part of it is to make sure that everyone can perform in the best possible way.”

Ideal player

“The ideal player is defined by the position and the playing style of the club. One thing that comes to mind about young players is decision making. The main reason for a player to break through is the ability to read and understand the game and do the right things in different situations. This is not only for young players but they are particularly getting better and because of that you need to read and understand the different situations. We also need all of the characteristics which are physical, mental, which are very important for modern football.”