Sacked Leopards coach now demands Sh7m in compensation
Former AFC Leopards coach Ivan Minnaert has slapped the club with a Sh7 million compensation claim.
Minnaert was unceremoniously fired by the Kenyan Premier League club last week, for poor results that have seen the team slip from second to tenth on the league standings after 23 games.
While sacking the Belgian trainer, Leopards management said they had triggering a series of clauses that would ensure his contract is terminated after payment of an equivalent of his two month salary (or about Sh800,000) in lieu of notice. Minnaert has however challenged this decision.
On Tuesday, the former Rayon Sport (Rwanda) and AS Djouliba (Mali) coach’s lawyers wrote a demand letter which among other things, suggested that the club’s management had contributed to the team’s undesirable results, and also failed to outline the specifics of the undesirable results.
DEMAND LETTER
“Our client believes that your action in applying provisions 7b and 7c of the contract was actuated by an ulterior motive geared towards avoiding to pay him adequate compensation for the termination,” the demand letter reads in part.
Consequently, the legal team has asked for the coach to either be reinstated, or paid the reminder of his 18 month contract valued at Sh7 million, alongside provision of accommodation and transport until his demands are met.
Thus Minnaert’s name joins a list of coaches who have in the recent past got involved in legal disputes with the club. This list also includes Zdravko Logarusic, James Nandwa and Pieter de Jongh.
