Why George Lebese rejected Chiefs’ R230 000 deal in favour of Sundowns
George Lebese has revealed why he rejected a salary in the region of R230 000 from Kaizer Chiefs in favour of a move to Mamelodi Sundowns.
After spending nine years at Amakhosi, Lebese left the Soweto giants in August 2017 to join the Brazilians.
Speaking to Marawa Sports Worldwide 947, the ex-footballer from Mamelodi expressed that he felt he had let Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung down by turning down the new deal.
“Bobby took me by hand from Mamelodi. I still remember our last conversation vividly when he put a paper [a renewal contract],” he said. “I was sitting across from him. And I said to him, I’m not renewing. I still remember how his face looked. He was in shock because he didn’t see that coming.
“Looking back at how things happened, it was like, ‘What have I done to this human being that has changed my life?’. I’ve always been apologetic about it. I sent him a message, I think, two weeks after I signed. I sent him messages to apologise. I met with him once. I apologised again. I feel like that’s one person that I’ve disappointed immensely.”
LEBESE EXPLAINS WHY HE TURNED DOWN THE CHIEFS DEAL
While acknowledging that Amakhosi had offered a better deal, he revealed several reasons why he opted against it. “Chiefs offered me more; it was not about the contract,” explained Lebese.
He added that it “had to do with playing time and my relationship then with the coach”. At the time, Chiefs were under Steve Komphela. “I could see I was not going to play.”
In addition, the 36-year-old revealed that there was ”influence from the person that’s supposed to be taking care of my career”.
“For whatever reason, I think he was getting more on the other side [Sundowns] than a renewal. I would never known. But he pushed me in a way that….you know when someone pushes you, but you end up saying the words he wants you to say. He’s not saying them; you must say them. So that was the kind of push. And also coming from a young age supporting Sundowns – all those factors – wanting to make the family happy. It came in at the right moment…”
He went on to disclose that the contract offered by the Soweto giants would have seen him earn around R230 000 per month.
“I don’t know the exact numbers, but it was around R230 000 a month…around those numbers. That was more than what Sundowns was offering, and I said no.”
Lebese last played professional football in 2020 and has set his sights on becoming a pundit.
RELATED STORY: George Lebese reveals missing ingredient holding Mdu Shabalala back at Chiefs