A legal showdown is looming between the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the South African Football Association (SAFA) over the latter’s signing of a sponsorship deal with a financial services company.
SAFA announced a sponsorship for referees last week which has seen match officials clad in the colours of the sponsor when officiating PSL matches.
PSL Chairperson Irvin Khoza says the sponsorship deal is in violation of its sponsorship rights and is also in breach of FIFA’s advertising rules.
SAFA announced the sponsorship deal last week which it said is the first of its kind and will cover the expenses of match officials.
The sponsorship, worth R50 million over five years, is in breach of the PSL’s sponsorship rights with two of its major sponsors, ABSA and Nedbank.
And while ABSA’s PSL sponsorship is for R500 million over five years, SAFA agreed to a R50 million deal with the company after PSL had rejected it.
Khoza says, “If somebody spends R250 million sponsoring football and somebody comes with a sponsorship of R10 million you are creating a new culture to say why do the expensive way, why not the cheap way?”
And the PSL made overtures to SAFA to try and resolve the matter in vain, and has now decided to go the legal route.
On Thursday, the PSL board of governors held a meeting which discussed the sponsorship issue. They also discussed the issue of Black Leopards Chairperson David Thidiela.
A voice recording of Thidiela attacking referee, Victor Hlongwane, after their match against Bloemfontein Celtic has been doing the rounds.
PSL Statement following Board of Governor’s Meeting pic.twitter.com/SwgARX6OvH
— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) September 20, 2018
Thidiela attacking referee related video click below:
