Micho signs out

Former Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic believes Uganda's football will continue to blossom even without him following the official termination of his contract with FUFA Friday night, after going several months without pay.

He said after yesterday he is going to sit and weigh all offers before he decides where to go, but that it is not going to be with a national team because there is a lot of redundancy with national team football.

Addressing a press conference at Kabira Club yesterday Micho said his ‘second home coming' that has seen him serve as national coach for the last four years had been years of unreserved love for this country, and that he had a duty of bringing happiness to millions of Ugandan people.

But he said he was leaving behind a team that was capable of continuing with the foundation he had set up.

"I did everything under full accountability, responsibility, and transparency and in my philosophy and it is that regard that regard that I have come to address you here. I want to thank all people who have extended their support, it was a special motivation working with Ugandan players" Micho said.

"I had no reason to resign but I had million reasons to terminate the contract because it has been one way traffic, my values have not been respected here .I met with all the FUFA leadership and they all agreed that they was need to keep stability of the team but other forces like family were also demanding and they wanted to know the fate of their future," Micho stated.

"So until Wednesday there was constructive discussion everything had come to perfection and an offer was put on the table for me to handle the team until after the AFCON qualification but my agent wanted to know the fate of my arrears before we can think of the future.

"Despite media speculation I personally had not committed myself with anyone but had verbal offers from 5 big teams on the continent and 3 national teams, so the Cranes job was the ninth on the point of going forward, but FUFA in the last week had not succeeded in making any one showing practical move of solving my arrears seven days ago,"

He said he had enough values to protect the reason he was a hot property on the continent but due to confidentiality close in the contract he could not disclose how much was due to him but he still has hope that he will still be paid.

"But it was an unbelievable 50 months of working with the Cranes, it was hard work and working behind the scenes, so what Ugandans have seen on the pitch is only 5 percent, the other 95 percent they have not seen and I'm going with it,"

"But the huge percentage is staying with the technical team, the players and whatever we have established with the players and this will continue to be the template that Uganda will use in order to achieve success that waits,"

He said he had helped FUFA improve its international relationships and was proud that out of 51 competitive games he had won 29, drawn 11 and lost 11 though he regretted that the team did not play the 2014 and 2016 CECAFA well which would increase the number of games won.

He said he can as well be credited for the revolution that saw players like Posnet Omony, Timoth Batabaire, David Obua, Nestroy Kizito turn professional, opening doors for many more others.

He said he will remain a fan of Ugandan football because it is the country that has made him since coming to Uganda as SC Villa coach in 2012.

"I have no regret; it has been a great journey and the last week I have tried to make thing work out and given 200 percent with a lot of fanaticism but it has left me heart broken. I will now go to rehabilitation, sit, think, refocus and try to heal this wound because I have not been able to lead the team to the world cup; I need to continue my struggle elsewhere,"

"One team in North Africa is already celebrating my departure because it has been their prayer that I leave but I will remain a fan and I have a life contract with this country and all Ugandans cannot go out of my VVIP room in my heart through the connections I have with the players, through the connection with all stake holders. Uganda is in in my DNA and the country is like a virus in my blood," Micho stated.

"I have been minister of happiness regarding Ugandan football and I'm proud that I was in charge when Uganda qualified for AFCON after 38 years and will always remember the day we qualified and the day we were drawn to play in AFCON," Micho said before thanking his church in Namungoona that has led him spiritually.

He said he will continue to pray for the Uganda Cranes to do well and reach the highest rank in Ugandan football before paying special tribute to all players in the Cranes set up.