Muhsin Ertuğral Explains Why South African Footballers Struggle to Break Into Top European Leagues
Former Orlando Pirates coach Muhsin Ertuğral has weighed in on the ongoing debate around why more South African footballers are not featuring in top European leagues.
He believes fans are focusing on the wrong issue.
“Football is not fair. It never was.The international game is not a talent contest, it has become an economy! Scouts can find anyone,” said Ertuğral.
According to him, football at the highest level is no longer simply about raw talent — it has become an economic structure driven by return on investment.
Scouts Follow Systems, Not Random Talent
According to Unplayable, Ertuğral explained that international scouts do not just search randomly for gifted players.
Instead, they follow established development pipelines, strong club relationships and investment networks.
Tactical Gaps Holding Players Back
While praising the technical skill of PSL players, Ertuğral said many struggle to adapt to the high-tempo, press-intensive and tactically demanding nature of European football.
“Modern football is intensity, tactical discipline. PSL still celebrates rhythm, flow, and individual expression. Technically, [SA] players are good. But when they go to Europe, they struggle to translate their talent into tempo.”
He described it as a football language problem:
“For me, it is a football language problem. It definitely needs export architecture, a football philosophy that will bridge PSL success with international demand. There is for me, by far too much lip service and naivety.”
“Comfort Is the Enemy of Growth”
Ertuğral warned that South Africa lacks a clear player-export philosophy — a structured development-to-Europe pathway that toughens players mentally and tactically.
“The stakeholders need to see not as an endpoint. It’s a path. Until all understand to teach players, comfort is an enemy of their own growth, and most importantly, until the development models prioritizes mental resilience over short term rewarding these talents will definitely continue to shine locally, and not at a global market,” he said, arguing that too many top talents shine locally but do not grow beyond domestic success.
He urged football stakeholders to stop treating Europe as the final dream and instead build systems that prepare players for that level from youth stage.
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The post “Football Is Not Fair”: Muhsin Ertuğral Explains Why South African Footballers Struggle to Break Into Top European Leagues appeared first on iHarare News.
