Cape Town Spurs have issued a statement acknowledging the arbitration award handed down by Advocate Hilton Epstein SC, which has cleared Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman to register for Kaizer Chiefs.
The Urban Warriors have been in a gruelling legal battle with Chiefs over the signing of their key players, Velebayi and Baartman.
Amakhosi snapped up the attacking duo in the past transfer window as free agents after the relegation of Spurs from the Motsepe Foundation Championship to the ABC Motsepe League.
Velebayi and Baartman officially joined the Glamour Boys after the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber ruled that their contracts were no longer valid, declaring them as free agents.
In the past weeks, the Spurs have appealed the ruling, which resulted in Chiefs failing to register the highly-rated attackers. In recent developments on Wednesday, 08 October, the arbitration has given the Soweto giants a green light to finalise the registration of the players.
CAPE TOWN SPURS NOT GIVING UP FIGHT FOR VELEBAYI AND BAARTMAN
Spurs expressed their disappointment in the ruling, reiterating that Kaizer Chiefs have to pay compensation for the players in question.
“For 30 years, our academy has been our proudest legacy. We have invested not just funds, but passion, time, and a philosophy into developing young players into professionals and upstanding individuals,” Spurs CEO Alexi Efstathiou.
“The outcome of this case, while we accept it, compels us to ask a critical question – how do we continue this vital work in an environment where the fundamental contract tying a developed player to the club can be so easily dissolved by circumstances?
“Our immediate focus is to meet with our legal team to dissect this award. We need clear direction on two fronts – firstly, the immediate operational impact on our squad as we campaign in the ABC Motsepe League, and secondly, and most crucially, on any compensation that may be due to the Club for the significant investment we have made in these players’ careers. The viability of our Academy and, indeed, the future strategic direction of Cape Town Spurs, hinges on the answers to these questions.”
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