George Maluleka has opened up on claims he is at fault for Kaizer Chiefs missing out on the league title in 2019.
Back in 2019, Amakhosi looked destined to finally lift their first league title since 2014/15 before the league got halted by the corona-virus pandemic.
Many thought Chiefs would beat Mamelodi Sundowns to the title, having had a massive points advantage, 13 at one stage, over their rivals but they lost out on the title in the final game of the campaign.
All teams had to go into the bubble after the coronavirus-inflicted break and Amakhosi only collected eight from a possible 18 points.
George Maluleka left the Glamour Boys before football resumed in the bubble as players with expiring deals had to sign an extension and he couldn’t agree with the club’s management on his terms.
To this day, some Chiefs faithful still blame the midfielder for leaving Chiefs before the final eight games, and he now responded to claims that Amakhosi would’ve won the title had he not left.
“Till today, people are unhappy or angry. They will say that I cost them the league, which is okay,” he told Thabiso Mosia on SAFMSportOn during an emotional interview.
“It really feels, obviously it’s not nice to be blamed for something. Without the facts, it comes with the territory, I just need to take it on the chin and move on with my life.
“It’s in the past, it happened and I had a very good time at Kaizer Chiefs, throughout my years I played with my heart. Then I moved to Sundowns and did the very same and I want to do the same right now at AmaZulu.
“People will be angry and upset, Luis Figo left from Barca to Real Madrid and he also got the same. This is a part of the game, unfortunately, and I really don’t know what happened in that office.”
Get unlimited, fast 5G home wifi. Delivered to you fast from rain.co.za
When asked why he left Naturena, Maluleka insisted that he wasn’t part of the discussions between his agent and the club’s management that led to his premature departure.
“This happens worldwide in this industry and in business as well. Two parties just couldn’t agree, shook hands and parted ways. Yes it was a very critical time and point,” he added.
“My agent knows because they had the meeting, they know why they couldn’t agree on terms.
“So Chiefs happened. I played at Chiefs, I represented Chiefs, I was a Kaizer Chiefs player and went to Sundowns and I’m at AmaZulu right now.
“I just wanna focus on my new journey, on my new chapter and yes I know people are angry but I just wanna move on with my life.”
