Former Bafana Bafana forward, George Koumantarakis, made a startling revelation about the time he wanted to purchase a club.
Koumantarakis, who played his football for Manning Rangers, FC Basel and Preston North-End, chatted to Soccer Laduma about how close he came to buying a South African top-flight team.
Read: Koumantarakis: I Was More Than Just A Footballer...
The Greek-born Durbanite shared his views on the SA footballing business and why football clubs aren't as sacred as they should be.
Koumantarakis opened up about his unsuccessful attempt at buying a club and how he was offered another team. As a businessman, he understands why some local football clubs fall by the wayside and "get sold to the highest bidder" to help keep them afloat.
The 50-year-old revealed how he was trying to purchase AmaZulu in the past but when the deal collapsed, he was offered another historic club, a move he, personally, could not get behind.
"It's the way the PSL works, I suppose. It's a way to keep the league alive.
"I'm not totally against it [buying and selling of clubs] but I am against propositions like when I was trying to buy AmaZulu and word got out. When that deal collapsed, I was offered Bloemfontein Celtic.
"I just saw no value there, I thought Bloemfontein Celtic was a major player in the PSL at the time in terms of fans, and as an entity and what it showed for South African football. They had a great fan base, a great culture and to all of a sudden change it's name and bring it to Durban would've been a travesty. So, from that point of view, I wouldn't have done it even though I was offered the opportunity," says Koumantarakis.
The former PSL Golden Boot winner reiterated why he believes that the changing of ownership keeps the league alive:
"A lot of times, the club [that's for sale] runs into financial difficulty and the best option really is, instead of losing a team due to a financial collapse, it just gets sold to the next person and they try and make it work. Football is a difficult business and sometimes difficult decisions need to be made," he added.
Read: 'It's A Bitter Pill To Swallow'
Bloemfontein Celtic sold their PSL status for R50 million back in 2021, handing it over to entrepreneur and Reality TV personality, Shauwn Mkhize, who moved the club to Durban and renamed it, Royal AM.
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