Mamelodi Sundowns sporting director Flemming Berg has signed a new two-year contract, with a key update to a previous clause.
This development ensures that the Danish administrator will continue his role with the club amid months of speculation about his future with the league champions.
In April 2022, Sundowns announced Berg’s appointment, presenting him as the man tasked with elevating the club’s standards through his extensive European experience. He brought with him seven years of experience as Head of Elite Football Development at the Danish Football Association [DFA].
During his tenure at the DFA, Danish football experienced significant growth, adopting a youth-focused philosophy that led to massive improvements in their national teams.
Notably, they reached the semi-finals of the European Championship and climbed from 46th to ninth in the FIFA rankings between 2016 and 2021.
Berg was credited with developing the ‘Talent ID’ program and a cohesive playing philosophy across all levels of the national setup. He also spent seven years with Premier League giants Chelsea as an international scout.
His arrival coincided with Sundowns securing a domestic treble under co-coaches Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi.
Downs chairman Thlopie Motsepe stated that Berg’s role was to enhance development structures and football methodology across all teams, including the first team, youth ranks and women’s squad and to develop elite youth for either first-team integration or international transfer.
WHAT PREVIOUS CLAUSE HAS BEEN UPDATED IN FLEMMING BERG’S NEW CONTRACT
His previous contract included a clause entitling him to a percentage [thought to be around 10%] of any transfer fee for DDC players or those developed from DDC at the Brazilians. However, due to potential transfer issues involving Kutlwano Letlhaku, Berg requested that this clause be removed from his new contract, and it was not included in the final version.
During his tenure, Sundowns has continued to dominate domestic football, making it eight successive league titles. Last season, under coach Miguel Cardoso, who joined the team midway through the 2024/25 season, Masandawana reached the CAF Champions League final for the first time since 2016 and showcased impressive performances at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Berg has been responsible for bringing in key signings, including Marcelo Allende, Lucas Ribeiro Costa, Arthur Sales, and Tashreeq Matthews. Additionally, young talents like Malibongwe Khoza have progressed to the senior team, highlighting the club’s ongoing development efforts.
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