Luc Eymael has come out to apologise to everyone in Africa for the alleged racist remarks which cost him his coaching job at Tanzanian giants Yanga SC.
The 60-year-old Belgian was sacked by the Jangwani Street-based giants on August 3, 2020, for alleged racist remarks when he compared the country's fans to monkeys in an astonishing tirade.
And since then, Eymael, who also coached FKF Premier League side AFC Leopards, is yet to get a coaching job with his most recent attempts to work for South African club Chippa United going up in smoke on two occassions.
Eymael had been appointed as the Chilli Boys' head coach first, and later the technical adviser, but his return to the country where he had also handled Free States Stars was cut short over the racism allegations labelled against him while coaching Yanga.
The Belgian has opened up to Goal on the matter and said he was not a racist and also took the time to ask for forgives from everyone who was hurt by the audio clip which he says was taken out of context.
“I apoligise about the audio clip that the fans heard, if the clip has hurt some fans, and not only Yanga fans, because in Yanga you don’t know if they have only black people, you also have white people, so I apologise to the fans who trusted that clip,” Eymael told Goal on Wednesday.
“But I also want to say again, the words from the audio clip were taken out of context and that the clips was remixed, it is not the original clip, and that the clip was not taken by any radio or TV interview but I know where it was taken privately by a member of the staff and then he remixed the clip.
“Once again let me say these, I apologise to the people, who have been hurt by that audio clip, that were not my words, the words were taken out of context but I apologise to the people who had been hurt by that audio clip, but that were not my words.”
On withdrawing his appointment, Chippa said in a statement: “The club would like to formally announce that it has withdrawn the appointment of Belgian, Luc Eymael. When processes are complete, a new coaching announcement will be made in due course.
“After having announced Mr. Eymael's appointment until the end of the season on Wednesday, 23 December 2020 - the club has considered public outrage. There was also the reputational damage caused to our brand, and that of our stakeholders, partners as well as our sponsors.
“We would like to clarify that the initial decision to make this appointment was based on Mr. Eymael's coaching track record, where we felt he was the best person to take the club towards our desired top half finish in this PSL season.”
Eymael is currently back home in Belgium.
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