Nana Yaw Amponsah, the CEO of Asante Kotoko, has provided an explanation for the club's decision to terminate the contract of coach Seydou Zerbo.
The Burkinabe coach was dismissed in March of this year following a surprising 2-0 home defeat to Medeama SC.
In an interview with Oyerepa FM in Kumasi, Nana Yaw revealed that the management was initially satisfied with Zerbo's performance and had no intentions of letting him go. However, they made the decision to part ways with him due to intelligence they received regarding certain fans planning to invade the Adako Jachie sports complex and attack the coach.
He also mentioned that some board members gave him an ultimatum to either dismiss the coach or resign from his position as CEO.
"We did not succumb to pressure to let him go, no. As the management, we were aware of the club's situation and what he was capable of. However, we received strong intelligence that some individuals had planned to attack him at the training ground, similar to what happened to Matic at Hearts of Oak. Such an incident had previously occurred at Kotoko, and we believed that allowing it to happen would not be in the best interest of the club, especially considering the club's image."
"When we discussed this with him, he also mentioned having conversations with his embassy here (Burkina Faso Embassy), and they reiterated the same concerns. So, we felt that if some people were going to attack the coach at the training ground and tarnish the club's reputation, it would be best to spare ourselves that trouble. If he is falling out of favor, we should save ourselves that trouble."
"If you ask any member of the management, we were not happy about him leaving because we believed we still had a chance in the league with him. Given the limited time left, bringing in an external coach would not have a significant impact if the officiating continued as it had been."
"There was a majority of supporters who wanted him (Zerbo) out. I recall our match against Hearts of Oak in Accra, where I had to intervene to prevent an attack on him. Even some people I know were involved, but that is not relevant now. At one point, there were demands from the board, and I state this on record, that either the coach goes or the CEO goes."
Seydou Zerbo joined Asante Kotoko at the beginning of the current season but witnessed the team's elimination from the CAF Champions League and their struggles in the Ghana Premier League.
Below is the video/audio of the interview
