THEY SAID IT
“I'm impressed with the players' focus. We accepted the (ownership) situation because we didn't cause it. It isn't in our hands, but it was important we showed the right spirit and took responsibility. This is very, very good. If you have the talent, it is a responsibility to show it."
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel after his team continued their winning run in a FA Cup quarter-final clash on Saturday in spite of the uncertainty created by the sanctioning of club owner Roman Abramovich.
“We heard the comments coach Mngqithi made and why I feel that that is quite disappointing is because it is quite unsportsmanlike. It is because instead of a head coach focusing on the great achievement that the club had just scored by beating the reigning African champions twice, he chose to use that platform to attack us and to say some very unsportsmanlike comments in the media.”
Kaizer Motaung junior on a claim by the Sundowns’ coach that it was unpatriotic to allow Al Ahly to use Chiefs’ training facilities.
“We definitely didn’t have the best of seasons. From the preseason, it just didn't go the way we wanted it to start, especially in the recruitment department and the players that we wanted to bring in, it didn’t happen. Of course, you are kind of hoping that the same team that finished second in the league last season will still have the desire even though there weren't players coming in and challenging them for places in the team.”
Manager Benni McCarthy on AmaZulu’s inability to repeat last season’s feats.
“Kaizer Chiefs are pleased that justice has been served by the arbitration ruling handed down at SAFA on Friday afternoon by Advocate Nazeer Cassim SC, after the club challenged the league’s decision to charge AmaKhosi for being unable to fulfill two fixtures due to a massive Covid-19 outbreak that befell us in December 2021. The decision we took to request the postponement of matches late last year was in the interest of safety for all concerned, our families, football colleagues and all the stakeholders involved in the game. And, now that the matches will be played, it is in the interest of football that points should be won or lost through matches played on the field of play as opposed to the boardrooms.”
Kaizer Chiefs statement after SAFA orders the two fixtures in December that the club did not fulfil to be replayed.
“I feel sorry for the fans but we have to look forward. I tried to push higher up the pitch and it didn’t work out. It’s my fault. It’s hard because it’s a Clasico defeat and losing against Barcelona hurts. We have to stay calm, recover our injured players. We’re sorry, but we don’t have to make a drama. Everything has gone wrong and I have told the players it was my fault.”
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti after they were trashed 4-0 in their own backyard by Barcelona.