Why Tade left Mamelodi Sundowns

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane said Emiliano Tade has decided to quit football and return to New Zealand where his family is, as he cannot stand the stress that comes with being a professional footballer, as he only turned professional a few of years ago.

READ: Sundowns parts ways with Tade  

“Jingles” said he tried to convince the former AmaZulu striker not to walk away from the game, but Tade said the number of injuries he has incurred were too much to bare.

“He decided that he is going back to New Zealand; that is his home, not Argentina,” said Mosimane after the Brazilians beat Stellenbosch FC 3-1 at the Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night.

Mosimane went on to detail the conversation between himself and Tade, whom they bought from Usuthu at the start of the year.

“I tried to convince him to think about it (quitting) before we went to Morocco. I told him he is a talented player and he is a good football player. I told him to sleep on it and he said ‘I’m done. I have never had so many injuries. In New Zealand I never played professional football, I was doing other things than playing football, I started professional football at AmaZulu.’

“He said it is not his life and he wants to do other things. Even the South Americans (Gaston Sirino, Ali Meza, Ricardo Nascimento and Mauricio Affonso) tried to convince him but he said ‘coach I am done’. He said I can keep him in the team but he won’t come to training. He said ‘I won’t play football so what are you going to do? You are going to fetch me from my house?’

“We will miss him, he has left us with very beautiful goals and it is sad, but he is the one who wants to leave football. What are you going to do? Economically it is not good for us because we just bought him, but what are you going to do if he says ‘I don’t want to play football anymore’?

“He came and he spoke to the boys and he was in tears. I brought him to my house, I tried to convince but he was in tears and he said ‘coach, too many injuries, now it is the left knee and now it is the right knee … I am not going to have this life, I think I have another 40 years to live and I want to live it differently.’

“Football is a bit difficult, it can be too stressful and demanding. He says it is too much for him. At Sundowns he must fight (for a place in the team) with Sirino, Themba Zwane and he says ‘I don’t need that in my life, I was playing nice there at AmaZulu.’ I asked him if he wants to go back to AmaZulu. He said no, I am going home.”

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