Former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Brent Carelse has shared his thoughts on the ongoing legal dispute between the club and Lucas Ribeiro Costa.
Ribeiro joined Spanish second-tier club Cultural Deportiva Leonesa as a free agent, despite having three years remaining on his Mamelodi Sundowns contract.
Following his standout performances at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Ribeiro drew interest from Brazilian club Fluminense and Qatar SC. However, both deals fell through because of Sundowns’ valuation of the player.
Citing “just cause” for his blocked transfer, the 26-year-old terminated his contract with Sundowns on August 1. He accused the club of pricing him out of the deal and used the recent DIARRA ruling by the CJEU as the basis for his action.
Cultural Leonesa signed him on August 31 and obtained his clearance without negotiating with Sundowns. The club announced the signing after receiving his International Transfer Certificate [ITC], which allows him to play immediately.
In a statement, Martin Hissel, an assistant to Ribeiro’s solicitor, Jean-Louis Dupont, said Sundowns and SAFA had “opposed the issuance of the ITC through various manoeuvres.” Hissel noted that the FIFA Football Tribunal would hear the merits of the dispute, with a potential appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS].
LUCAS RIBEIRO COSTA BATTLE WITH MAMELODI SUNDOWNS DESCRIBED AS STRANGE
Hissel also confirmed that FIFA issued the ITC in accordance with its new rules, which recognise the obligation to issue the certificate immediately as imposed by the DIARRA ruling. This means the ongoing legal proceedings will not prevent Ribeiro from playing for Leonesa. Such proceedings are typically expected to last between one and two years.
“It’s a strange one because normally, if you want to exit a contract, it has to be a two-way street,” Carelse told FARPost.
EX-PLAYER OFFER ADVICE TO THE CURRENT GENERATION OF PLAYERS
Meanwhile Carelse offered some strong advice to the current generation of players. Drawing from his own experience in professional football, he stresses the importance of respecting contracts and negotiating with clubs, rather than simply walking away for a better offer.
Carelse believes that loyalty and open communication are key, reminding players that a contract is a binding agreement and that clubs provide their “bread and butter.”
“You can’t just leave because you got a better offer somewhere. You have to sit down and negotiate with the team and see where they can come to terms. It’s important for these players to talk to the right people and find out what’s the best way to go about these things. When you sign a contract, it’s an agreement between you and the club,” added Carelse.
“So if the contract says five years, then it’s five years, you know. As a player, you must always remember that those people are giving you bread and butter, you know. You have to be loyal to a certain extent, but if you get a better offer, speak to the club.
“Some clubs might say no, we need you, but some might say go earn more money in a better league. But players must always read the contracts and make sure that whatever they want is there on the contract.”
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