Former Chiefs Coach Finds A New Home In Saudi
Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Giovanni Solinas has taken over the reins at a new club in Saudi Arabia, six months after he was relieved of his duties at Sudanese giants Al-Merrikh SC due to a string of poor results.
The Italian mentor was unveiled as the new man in charge of Saudi First Division outfit Al-Faisaly, where he returns for a fourth spell as he previously coached the team in the 2013/14, 2016/17, and recently in the 2022/23 campaign.
Solinas succeeds ex-AmaZulu coach Pablo Franco Martin, who left at the end of last season after successfully saving the team from relegation. The Spanish tactician has since joined Maghreb Fes in the Botola Pro League in Morocco.
The 57-year-old gaffer will coach a familiar face to the South African football fraternity in former Mamelodi Sundowns and Stellenbosch FC forward Junior Mendieta, who signed for the club in January 2025 after a premature exit from Greek outfit Volos FC.
Solinas, who has also coached the now-defunct Free State Stars in the PSL, is known for his time in charge of the Soweto giants, where he lasted just four months in the 2018/19 season as the Chiefs hierarchy pulled the plug with results not forthcoming.
The UEFA Pro License holder oversaw 20 matches in charge of Chiefs, winning seven matches and drawing as many games, while losing six encounters. In total, Solinas was at the helm of the Glamour Boys for 147 days.
Now, in the oil-rich kingdom, the well-travelled coach will be tasked with steering Al-Faisaly to promotion to the Saudi Pro League as the club finished in 14th place in a season where their status was on the line.
Having coached a host of clubs, including Algerian giants CR Belouizdad, MC Oran, and CS Sfaxien of Tunisia, among others, the well-travelled coach brings a wealth of experience to the promotion aspirants.
