The Frenchman took to his official Twitter account to reveal the news almost three years after joining the Soweto giants. “My time at Orlando Pirates has come to an end. One door shut, another one opens," Plaine wrote. "I want [to] thank Orlando Pirates for the opportunity to work with one of the biggest clubs in Africa, thank all collaborators and management of OPFC, thank all players and fans. "I felt part of the family." The Buccaneers brought in Plaine along with goalkeeper coach Andrew Sparkes and first-team performance analyst Darian Wilken prior to the start of the 2018/19 season. Plaine was announced as the club's new head of performance and he replaced Andre Volsteedt, who had left Pirates for French rugby club Stade Francais.