Former Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Johan Neeskens has passed away at the age of 73 in the Netherlands. Teko Modise has shared a special tribute.
JOHAN NEESKENS PASSES AWAY
Neeskens’ passing was announced by his former club and Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam on Monday afternoon.
“We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Johan Neeskens. Our thoughts are with his family at this time,” Ajax announced.
“Rest in peace, Ajax legend,” the club concluded.
Neskeens, who’s playing career included the mighty FC Barcelona, coached Sundowns between July 2011 and July 2012.
From the 50 games with Kabo Yellow, Neeskens won 18 times, lost 16 times and drew 16 games before he resigned from Sundowns to join Turkish giants Galatasaray.
TRIBUTE FROM FORMER SUNDOWNS LEGEND TEKO MODISE
According to the former Sundowns superstar Modise, Neeskens was simply one of the club’s best coaches despite winning zero trophies, and that’s football.
“There’s a lot that we’re going to say about him as a coach, the type of changes he was trying to implement at the club and the methods he brought,” Modise told Sundowns’ Pitchside Podcast, as per TimesLIVE.
“It’s just unfortunate his stay never lasted that long. Also he came into a very difficult Mamelodi Sundowns at that time where I think, personally, there was a lot of player power in the structure.
“And as much as he was so good in terms of his tactics and ideologies, it’s just sometimes good coaches don’t win things.
“Sundowns also still had the culture [then] of signing so many players without the ambition of helping the team. There were a lot of players and a lot of unhappiness with the players who were not playing.
“At some point we had two squads and after we were done training the other one would come through.
“He made me captain of Sundowns at the time. I think he’s one of the few guys who introduced a different system in the team.
“I remember the first time we never played with an original ‘6’ [defensive midfielder], we started playing with Surprise [Moriri] as a deep-lying playmaker. He introduced a three-man midfield with a 6 and two 8s. It was very new to us,” Modise added.
