Emmanuel Deutsch, the new Technical Adviser, Heartland FC of Owerri, has unveiled game plans aimed at helping the club to regain promotion to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Heartland FC was relegated at the end of 2015/2016 campaign in the NPFL ending the competition on 18th position on the log with 43 points from 36 matches.
The Imo Government has since then, made several appointments in the club aimed at repositioning it, with Ugonna Ozuruigbo as the club’s Supervisor and the Technical Adviser, Emmanuel Deutsch. Deutsch told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he would commence a 40-day intensive training with the players to prepare them ahead of the lower division’s competition.
“I have three key plans and if properly executed, the club will not only come back to the premier league but will compete favourably,’’ he said. He added that other key game plans were to begin talent hunt in all the twenty seven local governments of the state.
The technical adviser said he would equally organise series of friendly matches with home-based clubs to enable him to discover talented players.
He commended the Deputy Speaker of Imo House of Assembly and the Supervisor of the club, Ozuruigbo for ensuring that an official car and befitting accommodation was given to him in less than two weeks of his arrival.
In another development, Ozuruigbo cautioned Godfaith Etuemena, the club’s General Manager for criticising the club in the media. He said the general manager should rather key into the management’s plans of making sure that the team did not last long in the lower division.
Etuemena faulted the appointment of a new technical adviser in a media interview, arguing that the club’s coaching crew were capable of handling the team.
Ozuruigbo said that what was important to Imo Government, fans and stakeholders was only the possible way to reposition the club for better performance. According to him, the government invested huge fund in the team last season only for the club to go on relegation.
“We cannot allow those who took the club to relegation to continue piloting its affairs. “The appointment of the technical adviser was a recommendation of the technical committee and we must abide by it,’’ he said.