REVEALED: Real reasons why Zinnbauer left Orlando Pirates

The reasons behind Josef Zinnbauer’s departure at Orlando Pirates have been revealed, with a source stating the coach initially resigned on Friday, after he was blocked from using his own starting-line up for their match against Swallows FC last weekend.

OPINION: Zinnbauer wasn’t as bad as everyone makes him to be

According to a source, Zinnbauer was given a line-up for their MTN8 Cup tie with Swallows, which the team ended up losing 2-1 at the Orlando Stadium.

Zinnbauer was furious about the situation at Pirates and felt like he couldn’t be told how to put his team together anymore, hence the resignation.

“The coach wanted to play Nkanyiso Zungu and Goodman Mosele because he was preparing them for the whole week, but people at the top of the management were against that. They told him Zungu and Mosele are still young and he was given a line-up, so that didn’t really sit well with him and he knew from that point that he can’t carry on like this. He actually resigned a day before the game, which was on Friday,” said the source.

Furthermore, it is said that Zinnbauer’s mandate at Pirates this season was to defend the MTN8 and win the DStv Premiership.

The source said Zinnbauer was bound to leave the club had he went on with his own line-up and lost the match, because of the agreement between him and the club.

Following the pressure of firing the coach from last season by the fans and some of the members of the management, Zinnbauer didn’t have any backing from the bosses, but there were some players at the team that thought the coach was taking them to the right direction.

“When you look at this thing properly, the coach was not going to last for the whole season. He was tasked with winning the MTN8 and the league, which was really going to be difficult for him. He had senior management who were in his corner last season when everyone wanted him out, but now there was no one for him, except for some players that liked him. This thing of him resigning because he misses his family is just an excuse, he just couldn’t reveal the details to the media.”