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a foreign club, after the highly-rated Zimbabwe international midfielder signed a three-year deal to join top Swedish side Kalmar FF.
The Dynamos playmaker put pen to paper on Wednesday and will leave the country in December for his new Baltic Sea home in Smaland, in the south east of Sweden, where he will start his European adventure hoping to open doors into the big leagues of England, Germany, Spain or Italy.
Gutu spent two weeks on trials at Kalmar FF, who won the Swedish Premiership (Allsvenskan) title just three years ago, and the club last week decided to offer him a contract, which was duly signed this week by both the player and his local and foreign representatives.
Another rising Zimbabwean forward, Abbas Amidu, was also on trials at Kalmar FF but it appears that he might have to wait a little longer for his breakthrough after the Swedish club apparently decided to invest in Gutu for now.
Gutu has broken into the Warriors, with coach Norman Mapeza throwing him as a substitute in the last two games against Malawi and Liberia, and yesterday the midfielder told The Herald that he will try to use his move to Europe to become a better player.
“I’m very excited about finally getting a chance to play for a European club because this has always been my dream since I was a boy,” said Gutu.
“I have been trying hard to get this chance and I’m happy that, finally, I have been handed the opportunity and I want to make the best out of it.
“To me this is just the beginning of a long journey and my mission is to do as well as I can and make a big impression so that I can, with time, get a contract with the big clubs in England, Spain or Germany.
“Nothing is impossible in life and I have this chance and noone knows what will happen tomorrow if I do very well.”
Gutu, who was orphaned at a young age and grew up in poverty in Mbare, said football had given him a chance to live the life of his dreams.
“We all have our dreams and, thanks to football, I have now earned a contract with a European club but I don’t want it to end there because I want to achieve more in my life,” said Gutu.
“I want to thank all the coaches who have helped me in my career to be the player that I am today and the national team coach has also been helpful during a challenging time in my career. Hopefully, I will develop into a better player and I can come back home and help my national team succeed in whatever they will be fighting for.”
The deal is effective from January next year and, although the Swedish club wanted to have their man as soon as possible to enable him to settle in his new environment before making his first competitive appearance, Gutu’s agent Calvin Nyazema said they negotiated for the midfielder to delay his departure.
“Of course, given that everything is signed and sealed now, the Swedish club have a big say in their player but we had to negotiate with them, so that Archie delays his departure until December, because we feel he needs to play a part in trying to help Dynamos in the remainder of the season,” said Nyazema.
“We owe it to Dynamos for giving us a stage where Archie could play his football this season and get the kind of publicity that he was getting, which inevitably plays a big part in attracting potential European suitors looking for players. So, we feel we have to pay back to Dynamos and that is why we have fought, and won, the small battle that Archie stays until the end of the local season here and, hopefully, during that time, he will play a big role in helping the Glamour Boys in their bid to become champions.”
Nyazema said Gutu’s deal came as a big relief both to the player and his management team.
“When you have spent a considerable amount of time on trials here and there, without getting a deal, it tends to start affecting you psychologically because you begin to question yourself whether you are not good enough,” said Nyazema.
“That breeds doubt and in football that is dangerous because, without confidence, even the best players can look very ordinary.
“I believe it was beginning to happen to Archie because frustration was beginning to creep in and his game was beginning to suffer and the Archie we had at the beginning of the season was not the same player we had in July. So, to all of us, this has come as a big relief and we hope the young man will now be settled and he will use this golden opportunity to show the world that he is a truly good player.”
Nyazema said it was important that Zimbabwe should have as many players as possible playing football in Europe where they are not only exposed to very good training facilities but have to work very hard to keep their places in the teams and also to do well against very good opposition.
“Our national team will certainly benefit if we have more players playing in Europe because the game there is quite competitive and players have to be at their best, to remain relevant in their teams, and this brings out the best in the individuals,” said Nyazema.
“Competition for places in the teams is very fierce and you also have to play very well, week in and week out, for you to beat the opposition.
“So, the benefits for the national team are many because our players will not only be exposed to better training equipment and methods but also to better coaches.”
Kalmar FF was formed on January 10, 1910, and the club has won one Swedish league title, with their big success story coming in 2008, and they have also won the Swedish Cup three times in
1981, 1987 and 2007. The club’s sole Super Cup title came in 2009.
The changing face of Kalmar FF started in 2004 when the club bought three new Brazilian players, Dede Anderson, Fabio Augusto and Cesar Santin, and Ronny Nilsson, who had chaired the club for
12 years, left the team and was replaced by Tommy Strandman. Buoyed by their Brazilian imports, Kalmar FF finished fifth in the Allsvenskan and the following season they ended in third place, followed by another fifth place in 2006.
A great run in 2007 saw them finish second behind champions IFK Gotenborg and victory in the Swedish Cup that year, with a sensational 3-0 victory over the league champions, confirmed the club’s arrival on the big stage. In 2008 they finally were crowned Swedish champions, holding out to a 2-2 draw against Halmstads BK in their last match of the season, to win the championship by a point.
Online Reporter