Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has broken his silence on exit talks of Gaston Sirino, confirming the winger wants to leave the club, but an offer hasn’t been forthcoming yet.
Sirino, 32, is yet to feature for Masandawana this season, but has seemingly put his heart at leaving Chloorkop this window.
Mokwena, for the first time, revealed that Sirino told the club he wants to leave and that there would be an offer from a new club, but also stated that that offer hasn’t arrived yet.
“That’s what he’s told the club [that he wants to leave]. He said to me that I must wait for an offer, that there is an offer that is coming and that was three weeks ago,” he told Power FM.
“They haven’t made an offer and that’s why we are waiting. Because he’s asked us to wait for an offer. The club can never do anything if there is no offer.
Sirino still has two years left on his current contract after signing a new five-year deal in 2020, but Mokwena explained that he is being “tapped up” for a third time.
“The Sirino one is very sad… First it’s important to say that Sirino had the best pre-season since I’ve come back to Mamelodi Sundowns, this year,” he stated.
“But there is a lot of things that are happening in that space with Sirino and it’s not for the first time. You will recall that a couple of seasons ago and maybe there was a moment where he even showed publicly by wearing a rival, a big rival [Al Ahly] jersey at the stadium in front of our fans and you will remember how much our fans felt aggrieved and our club felt aggrieved and disrespected, and rightfully so.
“It’s a space that is so sensitive because this thing of tapping up players is a big thing, and this is the third time now that Sirino is being tapped up.
“It’s the same people that already tapped him up a couple of seasons ago. So it’s very, very difficult, where the player now also puts himself in situation – and group dynamics are so very important, I’ve got to manage it so very carefully, because it affects not just the team and the performance of the team but how your teammate perceive you, because you are very, very important, you are one of the best players in the squad. And then how the supporters perceive you, because the supporters love you.
“Then, there is an understanding that no-one is greater than the club, and sometimes when you’re part of a team you have to accept that you behave in a certain way that is showing respect, not only to the football club because you’ve got a contract and this is a club that has honoured the contract and paid you on time and everything that was owed to you, this club has been able to match it’s side, and therefor as a professional football player you’ve got an obligation to still show your professionalism and deliver on your side of things.
“So the Gaston one is very sensitive and it’s important that I speak a little bit about it – so I’m not seen as being pushy or pushing the player out…”
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When asked whether Sirino will play for the club again, Mokwena highlighted that it’s a privilege to play for the team, with the player’s head seemingly turned towards leaving right now.
“Players that play for Mamelodi Sundowns are players that want to play for Mamelodi Sundowns,” he added.
“We don’t keep players at Mamelodi Sundowns that don’t want to be here. We understand how privileged we are to represent this football club, myself included.”
