GREENER PASTURES French coach leaves Township Rollers, joins South African top side
Township Rollers’ former French coach Romain Folz has been unveiled as the new Head Coach of South Africa’s DStv Premiership campaigners Marumo Gallants.
His contract with Rollers came to the end at the end of the local league season in May and has now replaced former Orlando Pirates captain Dan Malesela who has been the club’s coach since last year.
Over the last couple of months, speculation had been rife that South African clubs, among the Moroka Swallows, Chippa United and Supersport United, were looking to snatch him from Rollers, yet he remained to honour his full contract which was tied to the end of the Botswana league season.
Pula24 understands that this Friday morning, he informed Rollers’ President Jagdish Shah and other staff members of his move, and they were happy for him as he said his final goodbyes. The club also wrote in a statement that they congratulate Coach Folz “on this new challenge, and thank him for all he did for Popa Popa. He leaves the team, the players and staff, in a better space than he found us.”
The 31-year-old Folz joins a club that has been doing well in the South Africa top-tier league, having finished as runner up in the country’s major cup competition, the Nebank Cup, which they actually won in the previous season.
The club this Friday released statement on his appointment, saying: “Marumo Gallants F.C. is pleased to announce the appointment of Moroccan (sic) coach Romain Folz as the club’s new coach. Coach Folz comes with an extensive track record of leading teams abroad, and across Africa, including his previous role at Botswana-based Township Rollers FC.
The appointment comes following the expiration of outgoing coach Dan Malesela’s contract. After much deliberation, the club opted to bring in coach Folz to lead the team into the next phase of the club’s journey,” the statement reads.
Accepting the role as the new club’s coach, Folz assured the club’s fans that it will be for them that he would make an effort to win things. “I can only tell them that all the efforts and work we will put in every single day is for them. We want to make them proud, and I will dedicate all my time and energy to reach that goal,” he said, adding that he was honoured to coach at a club playing in a top league such as the PSL.
The club’s chairman Abram Sello also expressed hope for greater things to come with the appointment of Folz, saying he was an impressive and energetic coach whose style would fit well with Marumo Gallants.
