Leopards want Ferreira to pay for leaving them hanging

Veteran coach Johnny Ferreira did to Black Leopards what the club has always been suspected of doing to coaches and it has hurt them. 

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Ferreira is alleged to have upped and left and sent the Leopards management a text message to tell them he was leaving. 

This was revealed by Leopards chairman Thsifiwa “Chief” Thidiela in a radio interview with Energy FM this week. 

“From our side, it is a strange thing,” said Thidiela. “This story is based on an action that has already happened. 

“He sent a WhatsApp message to one of the senior club officials saying he was leaving and asking where he could drop off the car.” 

His actions are disrespectful

The Leopards boss says they still consider Ferreira as their coach as they had not received a formal resignation letter from him. 

Instead they were surprised to see him on the bench of their Venda rivals Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila last weekend. 

“For us, it is just not acceptable and as far as we know we have not accepted his resignation. 

“That is because there was no reason that was divulged, the only thing that happened is that a day later we found him sitting on the bench for TTM. 

“It is something we still need to address. We need to seek advice on what action can be taken because it is really disrespectful… 

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“Number one, resigning through WhatsApp, and secondly not giving any reason and thirdly just moving to another club like that. 

“I feel that it was disrespectful not only for Black Leopards but for the entire football nation,” stressed Thidiela. 

Club should be compensated

He said he felt Ferreira should be forced to compensate Leopards for breach of contract, as there were obligations he had agreed to.

“This needs to stop. Clubs cannot lose their coaches like this where they hop from one club to another. 

“I can tell you and confirm that before he came to Leopards he was at TTM. Actually he was recommended to us by the chairman of TTM because we work very closely. 

“We asked him and he gave us permission to say he can come through to us. For us it is a bizarre situation. 

“And it is happening at a very difficult time. We are all aware of the position the team is in and we would not want to focus on things that are a distraction. 

“Ours is to try and fight to get the team in a safe position. But this one, personally I don’t think it is something we should let go just like that. 

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“If it had been us who had just chased him away like that, we would be the bad guys and he would be asking for compensation.

“But now things are the other way round and the same should happen. A person cannot just up and leave whereas he had a contract he had signed,” added the Leopards official. 

Leopards are currently bottom of the Motsepe Foundation CHampionship standings. They face La Masia on Friday afternoon in their next game.