Josef Zinnbauer, coach of Orlando Pirates during the Absa Premiership 2019/20 match between Cape Town City and Orlando Pirates at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on 23 August 2020. ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Orlando Pirates lose a member of Josef Zinnbauer’s backroom staff
The Orlando Pirates technical team is a man down following the sudden departure of Franck Plaine on Thursday afternoon.
Josef Zinnbauer, coach of Orlando Pirates during the Absa Premiership 2019/20 match between Cape Town City and Orlando Pirates at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on 23 August 2020. ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
The Orlando Pirates technical team is a man down following the sudden departure of Franck Plaine.
Plaine was the club’s strength and conditioning coach at the Soweto giants for the past three years.
He joined Pirates in 2018, a year after the arrival of then coach Micho Sredojevic and Rhulani Mokwena.
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Plaine took to social media on Thursday to announce his departure from the Sea Robbers.
“My time at Orlando Pirates has come to an end. One door shut, another one opens! I want thank Orlando Pirates for the opportunity to work with one of the biggest clubs in Africa, thank all collaborators and management of OPFC, thank all players and fans. I felt part of the family,” wrote Plaine on his Twitter account.
Plaine’s announcement comes less than 24 hours after Pirates’ 0-0 against ES Setif in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage.
His departure follows that of Michael Loftman who left Pirates in November 2020.
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Loftman was one of the club’s video analysts, and his job was to provide insight into Pirates’ opponents to Josef Zinnbauer and the entire technical team.
It remains to be seen if either Zinnbauer or Pirates will see the need to replace the duo in order to increase their chances of more silverware in the upcoming season.
