Former Moroka Swallows coach Ernst Middendorp says he is not surprised by the club’s recent troubles and called on the PSL to crack the whip on the club.
Swallows recently failed to honour their DStv Premiership matches against Mamelodi Sundowns and Golden Arrows due to a player protest over unpaid salaries.
The club is failing to meet its R4.2 million monthly salary bill as revealed by club chairman David Mogashoa in an interview with Idiski Times. A report by SABC Sport on New Year’s Eve also revealed that the players have been formally charged for the boycott.
PSL URGED TO ACT ON MOROKA SWALLOWS SHENANIGANS
“It’s absolutely unbelievable, it’s not possible. For me, it’s very clear, if the [PSL] executive committee or the board of governors are not stepping in and making it clear you can not,” said Middendorp.
“It’s your obligation as a club. You get paid for it to pay the players, to use the money for the right things. There is only one way, done. You don’t have the right anymore to stay in the league. You don’t have the right anymore to be part of this PSL league.
“This is my personal opinion as a human being with a certain passport from Germany. Forget about my other position [of being Cape Town Spurs coach],” he explained.
ERNST MIDDENDORP NOT SURPRISED BY HIS FORMER CLUB’S TROUBLES
Middendorp was also asked if it came as a surprise to him that his former club is now failing to pay its players.
“[laughs], No [I was not surprised], not at all. I left the club for certain reasons [laughs], to make it very clear. It was only at the beginning of March, and now it starts [the problems] in November.
“A club sign players for God’s sake, play three months, make 25 points, then you don’t pay. Okay the other team, at this moment [Golden] Arrows and Mamelodi Sundowns are lucky because they get the points and everything is fine.
“You have your 25 points, you get rid of the most expensive players [from] what I heard over there. That is what they are doing. [Tshegofatso] Mabasa to AmaZulu and this one and that one and so on. There’s a lot of talk behind the scenario,” he said during a post-match interview after the 2-0 loss to Cape Town City.
“Yeah I get the money and everyone is happy, behind closed doors. So every club should do it. Bring the players in. Get this R 6 million per month payment but you only have R 2 million available, just do it. This is something absolutely, if the board of governors or the executive committee is not stepping in, please.”
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