It is the third time the Serb parted ways with the Chilli Boys and this time around he lasted just five matches at the Eastern Cape side
Former Chippa United coach Vladislav Heric says he holds no hard feelings after getting fired by club owner Siviwe Mpengesi despite the departure coming as a shock to him.
The Serb was shown the exit door on Wedbesday with two Premier Soccer League games to go as Chippa are fighting against relegation.
Results in their last two games saw the Chilli Boys being held 0-0 by basement side Black Leopards and the defeat by Bloemfontein Celtic, ultimately ended Heric’s third stint at the club.
He had been appointed as technical director just under a month ago but he was essentially the head coach.
“Yes it came as a shock. Look I did have good results but the last two results were not on my side. In our last two home games we only had one point instead of six or four so that probably made the Chairman pull the trigger,” Heric told Far Post.
“I don’t know a little bit of panic, a little bit over-reaction and stuff like that. I just spoke with the Chairman this morning so we are okay. There are no hard feelings or anything like that, life goes on and becomes normal so that’s the way it is.
“Probably it was not easy for him to do that, it was not easy if you take the fact that the number of points we collected and my knowledge of NFD teams if we go to the playoffs but I didn’t believe that we will go to the playoffs.”
Despite his unceremonious departure, Heric still believes the Chilli Boys will avoid demotion.
They are six points better than bottom-placed Leopards and two fewer than Stellenbosch who are on position 14.
“Yes, I am confident that Chippa will survive relegation. But my message is that I did my best but it was not enough. Sorry for losing the final and sorry for not being here during the crucial time but it was beyond my control and there was nothing I could have done," said Heric.
The Serb is the coach who helped Chippa gain promotion into the Premier Soccer League in 2014 in what was his first stint at the club, before he retuirned in March 2018.