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Outspoken Luc Eymael reveals he has had disputes with ‘you know who’

Luc Eymael, coach of Free Statet Stars celebrates during the 2018 Nedbank Cup semi final match between Kaizer Chiefs and Free State Stars at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban on 21 April 2018.
Luc Eymael, coach of Free Statet Stars celebrates during the 2018 Nedbank Cup semi final match between Kaizer Chiefs and Free State Stars at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban on 21 April 2018.
Image: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Luc Eymael has given his agent until this weekend’s Nedbank Cup final to inform him of a solid offer at another club‚ or he will stay at Free State Stars‚ the coach has said.

Stars conceded an 85th-minute goal by Thamsanqa Gabuza through a goalkeeping error by Badra Sangare to lose their final 2017-18 Absa Premiership game 2-1 at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

A draw would have seen the Free Staters go a point ahead of Cape Town City‚ who lost 1-0 away against AmaZulu‚ into fifth place.

Stars‚ at one stage top three challengers‚ had to be content with sixth place‚ level on 40 points but with an inferior goal difference (-2 to -1)‚ with City.

Eymael has reportedly been the source of interest to coach Kaizer Chiefs or SuperSport United next season.

The coach said he has told his agent‚ Mike Makaab‚ to let him know about a concrete offer this week‚ or just after Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final against Maritzburg United at Cape Town Stadium‚ or he will remain at Stars.

Asked after Saturday’s defeat at Orlando if it might have been his last league game at Ea Lla Koto‚ Eymael said: “I don’t know.

"You can call my agent‚ Mike Makaab – he knows probably better than me.

“What I have said to Mike is that‚ ‘You have to bring the solution in these [coming] days‚ or just directly after the final – if there is something concrete’.

“Because after [failing] that‚ I will not leave Free State Stars.

“Because I have to thank a lot my board‚ and most of my players who responded very well. And I cannot stab them in the back.

“I have to be very correct. So if something concrete comes‚ it has to be this week. Or directly after the final.

“Because if I leave South Africa to go on holiday - in Belgium‚ searching for the summer – I will not give a call saying‚ ‘Ah‚ Mr [Rantsi] Mokoena [Stars’ general manager]‚ I will not come back because I have SuperSport‚ or Ajax‚ or Etoil du Sahel’.

“I know you [the media] have written a lot of things.

"Because of what you wrote‚ I also had some disputes with ‘you know who’ [Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane criticised Eymael for allegedly campaigning for the Chiefs job].

“Me‚ I never said one time that I wanted to go to Chiefs. But it’s like that in life.

“If the proposal comes from one of the two clubs that you already said [SuperSport or Chiefs]‚ it’s my agent who has to inform me and after that he knows exactly how my contract is. I have a buyout clause.

“And after that I think he has to deal with the club and the club has to also honestly call my club [Stars] to sort out this thing.

“Everything is written in black and white in my contract. And I cannot have the problem again that I had with Polokwane City.”

Eymael became involved in a legal wrangle against City after he left the Limpopo club in March 2017‚ joining Bloemfontein Celtic the following day.

The case was won by City‚ and Eymael had to expensively buy himself out of his contract there.

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