Maluleke on Leopards exit: ‘I didn’t terminate my contract’
Experienced midfielder Wiseman Maluleke has shed light on his unexpected departure from the second-tier league side.
Maluleke, a key player for Leopards in recent years, left fans and football observers alike surprised by his exit.
The attacker was expected to be one of the players to remain at Lidoda Duvha after they bought Motsepe Foundation Champion status from All Stars following their relegation last season.
However, things took a U-turn when Leopards roped in ex-Real Madrid Academy coach Alejandro Dorado to take charge of the team.
At the time, the Spanish mentor, Dorado, worked alongside Peter Mponda as his assistant coach.
WISEMAN MALULEKE ON HIS BLACK LEOPARDS DEPARTURE
Maluleke claims that when the new coach [Dorado] arrived at the club, within three days, he was told to stop training with the team as he was not part of his plans.
“You know the guy is from Spain. So, he came and he was introduced to the players. Within two or three days I was told I’m not part of the coach’s plan,” Maluleke told FARPost.
“And whatever was done there within the three days, nothing was done to determine whether this is a good player or not. So, he said, ‘You’re not part of my plans.’ I then went to the office to see what we could do, as he didn’t want me to attend training anymore.”
BLACK LEOPARDS HIERARCHY INFORMED WISEMAN MALULEKE OF…
The 32-year-old footballer revealed that the club’s hierarchy told him that there was nothing they could do as they had given the coach the power to hire and fire.
“At the office, they said, ‘No, we have given the coach all the power to hire and fire, and there’s nothing we can do’. So, I didn’t terminate my contract at Leopards,'” he added.
“So, you remember the team was relegated, and nothing was signed by then. When I went to the office, I think they had a year and a couple of months on my contract, and I thought we would communicate on how we could reach an agreement.
“But I was told there was no contract because the team that was relegated went down with those contracts; therefore, this is a new team.
“I then said if that’s the case, it’s okay. And I was then compensated for rent and transport because it was towards month end, and I then left the team.”
Maluleke has made over 80 appearances in SA’s top-flight and has had stints at Jomo Cosmos, Polokwane City FC, and Witbank SPurs.
After collecting only one point in three games, Coach Dorado tendered his resignation, making his stay at the Limpopo club short-lived.
RELATED STORY: Black Leopards star reacts to reported interest after AFCON performances