Dispute gets ugly as Eymael alleges players claimed they were coerced into lying about him by City

Two players who were witnesses on behalf of Polokwane City in their dispute against Luc Eymael came to the coach after making their testimonies and apologised because they said they were made to lie‚ the coach has claimed.

In one of the dirtiest battles to retain a coach after his resignation‚ Eymael has been ordered back to City despite the coach’s working relationship with that club’s combustible chairman‚ Johnny Mogaladi‚ having clearly broken down.

Eymael resigned from City on March 9‚ then joined Bloemfontein Celtic the following day.

He has been the figure of a dispute at the Premier Soccer League’s dispute resolution chamber (DRC)‚ with Polokwane having demanded R2‚8 million in compensation following the coach’s departure.

• 'I didn’t come here to die‚ I didn’t come here to make a war': EymaelLuc Eymael fears for his safety‚ or even his life‚ should he be made to return to Polokwane City‚ and he will not go back there‚ the coach told Times Media Digital on Wednesday. 

At dispute appears to have been the coach’s reasons for his resignation from City‚ with that club apparently asserting that Eymael left to join Celtic rather than his stated reason of unhappiness at Polokwane.

Celtic’s CEO‚ Khumbulani Konco has told radio interviews that a major part of the DRC’s finding was based on witness testimony on behalf of Polokwane.

However‚ Eymael claims two players admitted to the coach that they were coerced into lying by City.

“Two players came to see me (about lying)‚” Eymael told Times Media Digital on Wednesday.

• PSL DRC orders Eymael to return back to his previous club Polokwane CityLuc Eymael has been ordered back from Bloemfontein Celtic to his previous club‚ Polokwane City. 

Eymael maintains that he left City due to a breakdown in his relationship with Mogaladi‚ and then was approached by Celtic.

“It’s a long time that the relationship was finished. Why do you think that I resigned?” the Belgian said.

“One thing I want to put on record is that I did not resign from Polokwane City because I wanted to come to Bloemfontein Celtic.

“I resigned from Polokwane City because my relationship with the chairman was broken‚ because there was too much interference in the team‚ because I couldn’t agree with things that happened‚ and I couldn’t continue to work under those conditions.

• Black belt Eymael says stadium security must be grateful he didn't kick the daylights out of themIf it wasn’t for the promise Luc Eymael made to his family‚ the security guards at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium could have witnessed first-hand how the Belgian coach earned his black belt in karate. 

“And I also had opportunities to go to other teams‚ in Sudan and elsewhere.

“Like each human being‚ I have principles‚ and when you think you are no longer comfortable to work‚ what is better? It’s better to stop‚ I think.

“The game against Baroka (Eymael's second-last match‚ a 0-0 league draw on March 5) was the water that overflowed the bath.

“It was too much. It was a question of bonuses‚ it was not the first time for interference‚ it was not the first time the chairman came to the change-room to hammer everybody (verbally). It was the third time.

“One time you might accept‚ twice less so‚ but after the third you cannot accept.”

Eymael and Celtic are considering appealing the DRC verdict.

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport