Former Odisha FC head coach Stuart Baxter rejoins Kaizer Chiefs

The tactician had a brief spell in the ISL which ended in a controversial manner.

South African club Kaizer Chiefs have re-appointed Stuart Baxter as the head coach after the tactician was sacked by Odisha FC in the 2020-21 season. This will be his second stint at the club, as the tactician has previously managed the outfit where he oversaw 126 matches in three years.

The former England U-19 boss will now manage Kaizer Chiefs once again, where he had won the domestic league titles in 2012/2013 and 2014/2015 seasons. “I am feeling very, very comfortable with the decision to come back here. I think this time there will be a lot of expectations and will have to manage that. This time, it’s a tougher league. The league has improved and even the bottom teams are no pushovers. Now, they are all tight games,” Baxter said.

Time at Odisha FC

The 67-year-old only lasted 14 games with Odisha FC at the ISL and his record with the outfit was forgettable. Stuart Baxter recorded only one victory with the club and remained at loggerheads with star player Marcelinho. The club relieved him of his duties after a controversial remark in one of the post match media interactions but later clarified that it was not the main cause behind the dismissal. 

Kaizer Chiefs play in the South African first-division and are one of the heavyweights in the competition. The outfit have brought Baxter back into the fold on a two-year contract with an option to extend for two more years. The Scotsman will look to deliver the title once again and there will be more pressure on him than before.

Mood ahead of the new challenge

Personally, Stuart Baxter would like to leave his ISL stint behind. The partnership between Odisha FC and the tactician ended abruptly due to his poor conduct in one of his post-match press conferences.

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"I have been good since leaving the Chiefs. I have been all over the world.  Immediately before coming back here, I was in India and then Sweden. It will be different this time,” the newly-appointed head coach commented on the upcoming challenge.

“The game has changed. I remember when I came the last time and spoke about transitions, people laughed and now it’s an integral part of everybody’s game.  I have to find out what is new and what I can use that is going to bring us an advantage. It will be interesting. It will be a challenge, an interesting challenge,” he concluded.

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