'I didn’t come here to die‚ I didn’t come here to make a war': Eymael

Luc 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.

Eymael was controversially ordered back to his previous club City by the Premier Soccer League’s dispute resolution committee (DRC) on Tuesday.

This despite his relationship with the Limpopo-based side’s combustible chairman‚ Johnny Mogaladi‚ having clearly broken down.

Eymael resigned from City on March 9 and joined Bloemfontein Celtic the following day. He has been the figure of a dispute from City‚ demanding R2‚8 million in compensation for the loss of the coach’s services.

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Eymael said an incident where he was incorrectly barred from the change-rooms during Celtic’s 1-0 Absa Premiership win against Polokwane at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on April 2 makes him fear for his safety should he return to City.

The incident sparked pushing and shoving amongst officials and players of both clubs‚ with Mogaladi apparently involved.

“It is a very unfair order‚ an order that is not human‚ and an order that is unrespected (sic) within the laws of South Africa‚” Eymael said of the DRC’s decision.

“Because you cannot oblige someone to work for someone where he is not comfortable and where he can put his life in danger.

“I didn’t come here (to South Africa) to make a war. I didn’t come here to make a fight‚ like what happened during the game Polokwane City versus Celtic.

“I came here for the soccer. These orders and this behaviour were not my behaviour – they didn’t come from me.

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“People from Polokwane can say all the things‚ that they want me back and blah blah blah‚ and that they appreciate me. It’s like telling your wife that you love her‚ and then you cheat with 10 other women.

“That’s the same as what they have done at Polokwane City. They say that they want me back‚ but the behaviour that they showed during this game at half time‚ and before the game‚ showed exactly to everybody that they didn’t want me there.

“They wanted to beat me‚ they wanted to punch me. So nobody can oblige me to go back into this space.

“I didn’t come here to die‚ I didn’t come here to make a war. So it’s sure that we will go to appeal.”

Celtic CEO Khumbulani Konco has said radio interviews that the club are weighing up their options on an appeal‚ or mediation between the clubs. However‚ Eymael said his first option is to appeal.

“We will go to appeal or directly to Safa (for arbitration)‚ for sure‚” he said.

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“We have to find a solution. Because you cannot oblige me to go where I can die.

“Who will assume my security – Safa‚ the PSL‚ people from the DRC? Or do they want to have a political incident in the country?

“Because now I have informed my lawyer in Belgium about what happened here. The video is on Youtube‚ where you saw that the chairman of Polokwane City was involved in the fight.

“If you show that to the prime minster of Belgium what’s going to happen?

“And you will oblige a coach to go there? What’s going to happen? It would be very bad for the country.”

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport