In an official ceremony held at the Sheraton Addis Hotel, Saint George (Kidus Giorgis) introduced Serbian manager Sredojevic Milutin “Micho” as their head coach for a third tenure, signaling a major strategic reboot for the historic club. The unveiling went far beyond a routine coaching change as leadership presented a comprehensive long term project incorporating high caliber technical staff, youth focused squad building, facility investments, and modern administrative upgrades.
Micho has signed a three year contract with an option for further extension. Speaking during his press briefing, the Serbian manager emphasized his deep emotional ties to the club, noting that despite receiving several other offers he listened to his heart and chose to return. His primary objective is not only restoring Saint George to the summit of domestic football but elevating the team to compete among the elite in East Africa and across the continent.
Under a newly outlined five year strategic vision, the manager’s roadmap lays out a clear trajectory for success. The target for Year 1 begins with securing both the Ethiopian Premier League title and the Ethiopian Cup. Building on that foundation, Year 2 aims to retain both domestic titles while reaching the CAF Champions League group stages and competing in the CECAFA Club Cup. By Year 3 the club sets its sights on another domestic double, advancing to the CAF Champions League semi-finals, qualifying for the FIFA Club World Cup, and returning to the CECAFA Club Cup. Moving into Year 4 the focus turns to maintaining domestic dominance with the Premier League and Ethiopian Cup titles, establishing regular competition in the CAF Champions League beyond the group stages, and competing in the CECAFA Club Cup. Finally, Year 5 culminates in supporting a national milestone as Ethiopia aims to qualify for the 2030 FIFA World Cup in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain with a core squad featuring Saint George players.
To support this ambitious vision, Saint George is actively recruiting specialized foreign experts to strengthen the backroom staff, including a goalkeeping coach from Belgium, a fitness coach from PSG, and an international physiotherapist. On the pitch, squad construction is heavily centered on youth and discipline. Apart from veteran defender Amin Nesru who has been retained specifically to anchor the backline with his experience and leadership, every single new signing brought to the club is under 25 years old.
The squad is set to embark on an intensive pre-season routine starting next week, beginning with a demanding three-week conditioning block that features four training sessions daily. Following the Ethiopian New Year in september, the team will travel to a selected East African nation for an international training camp to play two or three friendly matches, a move Micho highlighted as crucial since a single international friendly carries the developmental value of five domestic games. Upon returning to Addis Ababa, the team will fine tune its preparations by competing in the annual Addis Ababa City Cup.
Alongside the coaching announcement, Saint George introduced club legend Seyoum Kebede as Technical Director on a two year contract, while also naming him Manager of the Yidnekachew Tessema Academy.
The former player of saint George who previously guided the club to the 2021/02 and 2002/03 Ethiopian Premier League title as head coach, Seyoum expressed his excitement for the role emphasizing his focus on implementing scientific, youth driven development that will benefit both the club and Ethiopian football as a whole.
Addressing administrative matters, Interim Board Chairman Ato Nessibu Chako provided key updates following the election of the new board on May 16. He firmly put financial concerns to rest, stating that the club has no funding issues and is receiving everything it requires, while expressing formal appreciation to key stakeholder Jemal Mohammed.
Regarding facilities, efforts are underway to reclaim club land in the Lemi Kura Sub City, where MIDROC is scheduled to build a primary pitch starting in 2019 E.C. In the interim, the senior team will move to the Bishoftu Academy starting next Tuesday for their main training camp. Externally, an ongoing audit is streamlining governance, while the club prepares to roll out an enterprise ERP system by September, complemented by a newly structured Supporters Association to mobilize fan engagement.
