The Serbian, who as a player played over 400 matches for Red Star Belgrade while also featuring for Yugoslavia at the 1982 World Cup in Spain, was right-hand man to Mazembe head coach Patrice Carteron as the Congolese side took continental honours, winning the CAF Champions League last year.
“It was difficult to win the Champions League, as this is a very tough competition to compete in and to win,” he tells snl24.com/kickoff. “Mazembe played strong football especially at home, though I wasn't happy with our away form, except the first game versus USM Alger in the finals.”
Krmpotic, who is represented by South African based On The Ball Sports Management headed by Franceso Ferreri and Zoran Mikovic, is due to take on a short-term coaching role at Congolese club Don Bosco – owned by TP Mazembe boss Moise Katumbi – yet is hoping for the opportunity to coach in the PSL in the near future, where he is confident he will succeed.
Krmpotic, who was linked with the Bloemfontein Celtic job last year before Serame Letsoaka was appointed, has a release clause in his contract at Don Bosco that will allow him to leave in the event that he receives an offer from any club or country outside the DRC.
“I have a one-year contract at Don Bosco, a club which will be playing in the CAF Confederation Cup as well as the domestic cup, so we're looking forward to our chances there,” he says.
"I believe that the club owners wish to use my vast international experience to assist the Club in its maiden excursion into Africa.
“But in the time that I have been in DR Congo, I have had the chance to follow the South African Premier League. I have also watched Mamelodi Sundowns versus Mazembe live, and I have seen some great quality.
“For sure everybody would like to work in the best organised league in Africa. This year is especially exciting because the "mali klubs" [Serbian expression for the so called small clubs] are performing beyond expectations and competing with the big boys.
“If I get a chance to coach a South African club, with my experience and knowledge, I would combine famous African flair with European tactics and discipline which would create the perfect mix to obtain the peak performance for the team.”
Previous to his stint at Mazembe, Krmpotic’s impressive CV includes spells in Yugoslavia, Turkey, Sweden and Greece, while he has also coached the Kazakhstan national team as well as the Serbian Under-17 and U-19 national sides.