Ernst Middendorp went from growing up in the idyllic village of Andervenne to becoming the subject of a protest, the man who infamously twice lost the league title on the final day, and the man the media love to hate.
This German South African is one of a very select group of globetrotting coaches.
Arminia Bielefeld’s most successful coach since 1933, he garnered attention for his animated touchline antics and became the enemy of the journalists in Germany, revolutionised soccer in Ghana, was silenced in Iran, unwittingly bagged two nicknames and became a pioneer of training in South Africa, exposed match-fixing in China, lost his job because of match-fixing in Cyprus, and found himself in a warzone in Ethiopia.
He has taken brave, strange and admirable decisions – such as quitting his job as a teacher, equipping himself with four non-sport related degrees, departing a club because of receiving what he calls the “greatest compliment”, wanting to overhaul a squad which had just won the league, asking to be fired on television, paying out of his own pocket for the benefit of his club, and refusing to play the beloved Itumeleng Khune and players who sign a pre-contract with another club.
He has taken the coaching reins of clubs in administration. He has had to deal with clubs changing ownership, management on the lookout for a different coach while he was still there, and his club losing 126 fans in the worst stadium disaster ever to have taken place in Africa.
Middendorp has faced many controversial moments – such as the government in Ghana ruining his team’s chances of being champions, police finding him sleeping on top of a steering wheel, his players coming late and drunk to training, and enduring his annus horribilis at Chippa United.
He has been physically threatened while peacefully spectating a 2010 FIFA World Cup game, robbed of winning the Telkom Knockout trophy and backstabbed by members of the media.
Without this self-proclaimed ‘master strategist’ who is known for his ability to turn talented players into superstars, we may never have heard of the first goal scorer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the second-highest goal scorer in international football history, the joint top goalscorer in the 2019/20 ABSA Premiership, and a four-time league title winner with Mamelodi Sundowns.
Middendorp has mentored coaches across the globe, even attempting to give a top South African coach the chance to coach overseas.
He had insightful discussions, candid conversations or disagreements with the likes of the Ashanti King Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II in Ghana, Kaizer Chiefs Chairman Kaizer Motaung, former Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson, Golden Arrows Chairperson Mato Madlala and Bloemfontein Celtic owner Max Tshabalala.
Middendorp confronted the management of the German Football Association, took the Premier Soccer League and Madlala to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and pointed out match-fixing, corruption or foul play in Ghana, China, Cyprus and South Africa.
“I’m a stubborn coach, there’s no doubt about it,” Middendorp says. “I ask for professionalism in and around the team, and everything has to be done in a proper way. I’m always looking for sustainability in terms of the structure of the club. It doesn’t matter whether it is Maritzburg United, Changchun Yatai, Anorthosis Famagusta, Arminia Bielefeld or Kaizer Chiefs.”
