Coach Eymael says City players 'lied'

Eccentric coach Luc Eymael yesterday made shock accusations, saying players were forced to lie in Polokwane City's case against him after he resigned suddenly.

He has been told to return to the Limpopo-based club - despite his working relationship with combustible chairman Johnny Mogaladi having broken down - but he said he feared for his safety if he were to go back.

Eymael, a Belgian, resigned from City on March 9 and joined Bloemfontein Celtic the following day.

City, demanding R2.8-million in compensation, took him to the Premier Soccer League's dispute resolution chamber (DRC), asserting that Eymael left to join Celtic rather than his stated reason of unhappiness. The DRC found against Eymael, who is considering appealing against the decision.

Eymael claimed yesterday that two players who testified against him later apologised, saying they had been forced to lie.

"Two players came to see me," Eymael told The Times, adding he couldn't return.

"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 (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."

Then, Eymael said 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, resulting in pushing and shoving among officials and players of both clubs, with Mogaladi apparently involved.

"They [City] 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 ...

"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."