BY LUKANYO TSHITSHI
The head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns and head coach of Ts Galaxy pictured in the side-line during the Carling Knockout match, image: Gallo images.
The head coach of TS Galaxy, Sead Ramovic, dropped a bombshell when responding to the statement made by Mamelodi Sundowns head coach, Rulani Mokwena, on Monday during the Nedbank Cup pre-match press conference ahead of the last 32 fixture against La Masia.
Mokwena divulged in the press conference on Monday that he called Ramovic to raise his resentment about what has been happening between him and Ramovic since his side's exit in the Carling Knockout last year in October.
“You are all familiar with some of the things that my colleague at TS Galaxy has said and I picked up the phone and I called him, direct and I raised my displeasure", said Mokwena in the press conference.
However, the Serbian-born coach, Ramovic, had a lot to say about what was said by Mokwena, and he further disclosed the details of the phone call he received from Mokwena in late December last year.
“I didn’t come to South Africa to argue with anyone, my goal was not to fight with anyone. I didn’t come here to make any headlines,” he told journalists on Thursday during the press conference.
“I came here that my team improves, that my club improves, that maybe one day when I leave my club the new coach will find a top club and he can will continue to have even more success – this is my goal.
“If somebody like he did to undermine or disrespect my players, the hard work they do every day and if we win a game against them we should all know they are spending over R150 million over the last two seasons for players. It means they have a squad with just unbelievable quality", he said.
Ramovic Further disclosed all the details about the phone call conversation between him and Mokwena, saying it was unpleasant.
“So Rulani didn’t call me after it happened, it was on the 13th of November, I raised my voice that he disrespected my players, me, my staff and the club. I didn’t attack him, I just protected my players and I will not let anyone disrespect them", he said.
“What happened, I got a call from him during the bus drive to Mbombela. I pick up the phone and he started to yell, to scream and he told me – I will just make it short because he spoke to me for 10 minutes with a lot of nonsense – but what he told it was ‘who the f*** are you to come to my f***ing country and talk to me like this?’ I just quote him. ‘Do you know who my parents are? Be careful how you talk because you are in my f***ing country’.
“After that, I told him that I don’t care who your parents are and then he dropped the phone. This was his high standard of morals.
“I was very disappointed. I can tell you, because I think to get treated from a colleague like this is a very, very small-minded talk.
“I’d like to clarify now, Sundowns is a beautiful club with a high standard of morals, the players are also top. It’s just a case of his behaviour and me now. Again, I have principles and I have values and I stick to them," he added.
Mokwena and Mamelodi Sundowns have not yet responded to the TS Galaxy coach's remarks.
What might happen when these two teams play each other? This is the question that every South African football supporter is asking himself at this precise moment.
The Mbombela Stadium is set for these two teams when they lock horns on March 6 in the Dstv Premiership encounter.
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