I would like to express my dismay at the treatment of football players in the country by team owners and coaches. Like any other employee, footballers are professionals whose welfare depends on their ability and skills. On this note, like other employees who hop from one company to another in search of a better offer, soccer players deserve to be treated with respect when they change teams. It was disturbing to hear AmaZulu chair Sandile Zungu telling his player Siyethemba Sithebe that he will never wear the AmaZulu jersey during his remaining five months with the club after he signed a precontract with Kaizer Chiefs. What adds insult to injury is that as a punishment, the club will also not release him until the end of the season.
This scenario is exactly what Chiefs did to George Maluleka when he signed for Mamelodi Sundowns, so the chickens may be coming home to roost. But it has sadly become a norm for teams to be selfish when players look for greener pastures while still contracted to them.
Signing a precontract with another club is permissible according to Fifa laws. As a club, you may have a player join your club on a free transfer when his current contract expires. Only players who have less than six months remaining on their contracts and are over the age of 23 can be signed this way.
Having club owners discriminating against players who are chasing a fat cheque or a better offer is tantamount to standing in the way of progress.
Footballers have families to feed, so they must think ahead. As a player, waiting for a contract to end and then hope your team will give you a new offer is not a smart move as you might find yourself out in the cold after being offloaded.
We all serve notice when we change employment, so that employers can fill our posts. A precontract is an indication that a player won’t renew or renegotiate but will still work for the club for the remainder of the season. Soccer bosses must stop being greedy and selfish; football is a short career for players to push loyalty.
Malphia Honwane, Gottenburg eManyeleti