Mike Mutebi is new SC Villa manager
Signing on the dotted line: Mike Mutebi (Left) and Villa chairman Fred Muwema (Left) affix their signatures on the management deal that brought Mutebi on board as the new SC Villa manager.
Former KCC and Uganda Cranes coach Mike Mutebi has this Monday morning been unveiled as the new SC Villa manager.
Mutebi replaces Serbian Srdjan Zivojnov who quit last month. The 41-year-old Mutebi has penned a three-year renewable contract worth Shs120m per year.
His deal is a management contract based on the British model of a manager rather than coach and it will see him recruit his own coaching, training and fitness staff.
“In our agreement, Mike gave a minimum figure he will need together with his coaching team he will have recruited and that is the figure we concurred on,” said Villa chairman Fred Muwema while unveiling Mutebi at Rwenzori Courts in Kampala this morning.
Mutebi has already appointed his long time colleague Kaddu Badru Mukasa as first team coach and Villa legend Paul Nkata as his first assistant.
Villa former midfielder and faithful Hakim Magumba will also stay on as club coordinator and will work closely with Nkata with the reserves.
“I’m excited to be at Villa and am glad to be back big time to football action,” Mutebi, clad in a grey suit and Villa blue scuff around his shoulders said.
“It would have been very difficult for me to fit in any system but the Villa strategic plan fits in well with me,” he added, “I hope Villa and the chairman will not change the status quo.”
Having played for KCC and an ardent fan, Mutebi's new position raises eyes suspicion among some Villa faithful. But Mutebi dismissed the fear.
“Yes, I played for KCC and supported them as a fan,” said Mutebi, “But I am a professional and for now am for the Villa cause.”
Mutebi’s appointment comes as a surprise and the Villa hierarchy must be smiling in glee having succeeded in safeguarding the news of Mutebi's appointment from leaking to the press to the last day.
However, it didn’t come cheaply as Mutebi first declined when Villa approached him after Zivo’s departure last month.
Then, the Uefa diploma A holder from Germany insisted he was involved in his youth project with Coca Cola.
Ever since, negotiations have been going on until Mutebi, who ironically did not apply for the job, yielded.
Former Yanga tactician Sam Timbe and Villa legend Nkata were seen as the front runners for the job while Simba’s Fred Kajoba had an outside chance.
Former Express coach Dragan Popadic, Briton Des Bulpin, ex-Swiss national team coach Livio Bordoli and Dutch born Phillip Sellmeijer were the foreign coaches that made the shortlist.
Mutebi, who started coaching aged 23 years in 1993, has a knack of spotting and developing talent.
Players like Edgar Watson, Ibrahim Sekagya and Baker Mbowa among others are some of the players that have gone through his tutelage.
The 16-time champions, Villa, have made the worst possible start to the Bell Super League season.
They lie 11th on 10 points from an equal number of games, averaging a point every game, a statistic that presents Mutebi huge task to start with.
Mutebi will meet the players this afternoon at Villa Park, Nsambya. The former Cranes coach has handled Coffee, Miracle, Simba and the under 20 national team among other sides.
