Yusuf Maart has reflected on dumping Kaizer Chiefs to sign for Austrian Bundesliga side SV Ried before the start of the current season.
The Cape Town-born midfielder moved to Europe, his first time to pursue a career outside the Betway Premiership. He arrived at Ried in July 2025 and immediately established himself as a regular starter for the club.
Leaving Chiefs was a surprise move for Amakhosi fans, as they witnessed the 30-year-old, who was the team captain, depart. Rumours of a possible transfer to Ried gained steam when Maart was left behind as Amakhosi jetted off to the Netherlands for pre-season camp.
But the move had already been in the works before the end of the 2024/25 season.
“It was like three months [working on SV Ried transfer] before the league [2024/25 season] ended. They called me for a Zoom meeting with my agent [Karabo Tshabuse], and they asked me if I was willing to come. I told them if everything is good, why not?” Maart told Soccerbeat.
“If they can sort it out by the club, Chiefs. For me, I’m ready to take the next step. That’s how it came about, and obviously, they had a few games in the second division that they needed to win and be guaranteed [Bundesliga promotion]. To me, they were fully confident that they were going there and were going to make it.”
CHIEFS WERE HESITANT TO LET MAART MOVE TO AUSTRIA
Maart left Chiefs at a time when he was the team’s leader, entrusted with the armband. While Amakhosi had finished the season outside the top eight under his captaincy, he had scored in the Nedbank Cup final against Orlando Pirates to end Chiefs’ 10-year trophy drought.
It was not surprising that the Soweto giants were keen on holding on to his services when Ried came knocking. “I told them [Chiefs] that it’s a possibility that when the season ends, I can leave. They said Yusuf, ‘let’s see because we need you for a few more seasons,’” said Maart, who also played for Sekhukhune United.
“For me, it was an opportunity at my age. They said we can talk again about it. When the team [Ried] got promoted, I went home to enjoy my holiday in Cape Town. I came back, trained with the team [Chiefs] for about two or three weeks. But obviously they [Ried] are calling on the other side.
“The Chiefs coaches asked me to stay, but I said it’s an opportunity I don’t want to miss out on playing in Europe and get how it feels. They disagreed. But obviously SV Ried were going on the side with the club.”
APPROACHING KAIZER MOTAUNG JNR AND MAART’S BOLD DECISION
“I told my agent to talk to Junior [Kaizer Motaung Jnr], and the day before we left for the Netherlands, I came in the morning, and I told Junior that I’m not going with them. My agent told me that you don’t need to go if you don’t want to because we are agreeing,” the former Pirates development player went on.
“He said if you go, maybe you can go from the Netherlands to Austria, it doesn’t matter. I told them that my mind is already made up, and as a player, if your mind is made up, you won’t get the same player of before, a few seasons ago with the club.
“Then, for about one week, I was at home, doing training on my own. The second week I did more, and after that I left, and I came this side.”
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