Polack: I will return if finances are sorted out
Gor Mahia coach Steve Polack says he will be away for 7 to 10 days and will only return if issues pertaining to player salaries and staff salaries are addressed
Additional reporting from goal.com
The British tactician reveals to Goal he will only return to handle the Kenyan champions if the financial situation gets better
Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack has revealed he will visit his native home before the new season kicks-off but will only return if the current financial situation at the club improves.
The Kenyan champions have been hit hard during this transfer window as they have already lost four key players – defender Joash Onyango to Simba SC of Tanzania, winger Dickson Ambundo to Dodoma Jiji, winger Bernard Omondi to Wazito FC and goalkeeper David Mapigano to Azam FC – all because they don’t have money to pay salaries.
On top of that, more players are heading to the exit door with captain Kenneth Muguna already negotiating with Petro Atletico of Angola, defender Charles Momanyi close to signing for KCB while Shafik Batambuze is yet to discuss his contract situation which ends in November.
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Polack has now told Goal he will leave for his native Finland to visit his family for at least a week or two when he gets to know the exact dates when the 2020-21 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) campaign will start but with conditions he will only come back if the situation at the club gets better by then.
Asked whether he will also follow players in the mass exodus being experienced at the club, Polack told Goal : “First of all you need to tell the fans that the way the situation is I understand their concern, you know, not only about me but also the players.
“So we just have to see how it goes that is what I can say, hopefully, everything will be sorted out in the next seven to 10 days, we really hope that it will be done because I really need to go home as well for a week or so to see my family, I also need to see my family.
“So for me like I said, I understand the concern of the supporters that players are leaving and maybe the coach could be leaving. All they need to understand is that whatever happens in the future it is good for the club, and they have to support the club no matter what because remember the club will always still be there.”
Polack continued: “Players will always leave but the club will always be there, at the moment I am committed to the club but as I said before, I don’t want to leave here [heading for home] until I get to understand what is the situation at the club for the new season.
“Like somebody asked me today, are you going home, yes…but I don’t want to go home until everyone else is happy at the club because when I come back I want to have a happy family.
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“I don’t want to come back in the current situation when everyone is unhappy, I want the situation solved before I leave for home so when we come back for pre-season training, we have a happy family to get ready for the new season.
“I will not be going home until the current situation is sorted but if I go then I can only come back when I am sure the situation is sorted and all of us are happy to kick the ball again.”
Polack joined K’Ogalo from Asante Kotoko of Ghana and went on to win two titles – KPL Super Cup and the league – in his first season.
