Ernst Middendorp, coach of Kaizer Chiefs (Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)
Middendorp made these comments back in 2016 while he was Maritzburg United coach, before the German coach left South Africa to join Bangkok United as the Thai club’s technical director.
The 60-year-old confirmed that Chiefs were handling the matter on his behalf after it was reported that Amakhosi put forward a plea deal to a Premier Soccer League (PSL) disciplinary committee.
He says he is focused on the club and not on the plea deal, and expressed gratitude to Chiefs for the intervention and, looking back, Middendorp says he was wrong to make the comments against Madlala.
“The club is supporting me in a very productive way and I’m very thankful about it,” Middendorp was quoted as saying by TimesLIVE.
“In this moment a lot of stuff went wrong. In 2016‚ probably‚ I was too excited at that time with certain messages‚” Middendorp said. “I punched into the air. Ja‚ very well‚ I think actually now let’s be grown up. And the biggest one who has to be grown up is me‚ in this direction. I made that statement [then]. It’s not out of everything – it’s just that my statement in the moment [that I made] is there.”
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