“I am surprised with Kaizer Chiefs because I mean, as you know, last year we did a deal with Rushwin Dortley,” said Efstathiou.
Cape Town Spurs CEO Alexi Efstathiou has opened up about their relationship with Kaizer Chiefs following the arbitrator’s ruling on the matter involving Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman.
Earlier this week, SAFA arbitrator Hilton Epstein ruled in favour of the two players and cleared them to be registered and be used by Chiefs.
READ MORE: Chiefs duo declared free agents by SAFA arbitrator
Amakhosi signed the duo on a free transfer after Cape Town Spurs were relegated to the amateur ranks, the ABC Motsepe League, at the end of the previous season.
Spurs, however, challenged their transfers and took the matter to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) Dispute Resolution Chamber, which ruled in the players’ favour.
Unhappy with the DRC ruling, Spurs appealed the decision, but they lost again after Epstein dismissed it and declared the players as free agents.
Efstathiou slams Chiefs
Speaking on Metro FM this week, Efstathiou expressed disappointment about the way Chiefs handled the signing of Velebayi and Baartman, but added that Spurs had no problem in doing business with Amakhosi in the future.
“I am surprised with Kaizer Chiefs because I mean, as you know, last year we did a deal with Rushwin Dortley,” said Efstathiou.
“Kaizer Jr [Motaung] himself phoned. We negotiated, we didn’t agree on certain things, and finally, we found a point where everyone was happy. So, it’s not that we don’t do business with Kaizer Chiefs,” added Efstathiou before slamming Chiefs fans for complaining about everything
“There are just Kaizer Chiefs supporters always moaning about everything. So, it’s not about that. Kaizer and I dealt, and it was great. But to be honest, if I am Kaizer and someone told me, ‘Listen, you can get these two players for free’, what would I do? Then it’s up to Kaizer’s conscience if he wants to come and talk to us.
“I mean, until today, Kaizer Chiefs have not spoken a word to us. So, we don’t know what they are thinking. We don’t know anything. So, when people say they came last year, yes, they did. I can also give you the numbers. We wanted R10 million for Asenele [Velebayi] and they offered R4 million. They offered us two players on loan, but we said no. We are not in the business of loaning players, and then they just went quiet. So that’s what happened,” commented Efstathiou.
Spurs ponder options after ruling
Meanwhile, in a statement released by Spurs, Efstathiou said they will meet with their legal team to dissect the ruling before deciding their next step.
READ MORE: Spurs ‘disappointed’ by ruling on Velebayi, Baartman matter
“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,” said Efstathiou.
