Despite a strong run on the pitch, the Citizens are reportedly set to part ways with technical director Ernst Middendorp. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Durban City FC’s off-field upheaval appears far from over, with sources close to the club indicating that the Citizens are set to part ways with technical director Ernst Middendorp.
The expected separation would mark the end of a turbulent eight-month relationship that has been defined by uncertainty, internal disagreements, and repeated structural changes.
Middendorp’s association with Durban City has been anything but stable. He was initially brought in ahead of the current campaign to help guide the club through its return to top-flight football, working alongside then head coach Gavin Hunt.
The partnership was intended to provide experience and balance, but cracks soon emerged behind the scenes. After just a few months, Middendorp left the club during the early stages of the season amid differing views over technical control and recruitment.
Durban City then entered a period of flux before making a surprise decision to reappoint the German mentor in December, this time as part of a revamped technical structure that also included head coach Sinethemba Badela.
That reset, however, proved short-lived. Badela was relieved of his duties after just three matches — two league games and a Nedbank Cup victory over Chippa United — amid reported disagreements over signings and squad direction.
His presence at training without leading the session was widely interpreted as an early sign of his impending exit on the day of confirmation, a situation that has since cast further scrutiny on the club’s technical leadership.
Despite the instability, Durban City, steered by interim coach Pitso Dladla, currently sit sixth on the Betway Premiership log with 28 points from 18 matches, placing them firmly in the top half and within touching distance of the league’s leading pack.
That position has only sharpened debate around the club’s internal decision-making, with questions being asked about why such sweeping changes are unfolding while results have remained competitive.
Sources now suggest that Middendorp’s role has become increasingly untenable, with alignment between the board and technical leadership breaking down once again.
An official announcement is expected in the coming days as Durban City attempt to reset — yet again — and bring clarity to a season that has been as dramatic off the field as it has been competitive on it.