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The heated OUTsurance refereeing sponsorship dispute between the SA Football Association (Safa) and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is being resolved amicably‚ says Safa acting CEO Russell Paul.
He confirmed that the dispute over Safa’s R50m sponsorship signed with the insurance company for match officials was discussed at the association’s ordinary council meeting at Safa House on Saturday.
He said a meeting of the Safa-PSL joint liaison committee (JLC) held on Tuesday had been conducted amicably.
Paul said he and PSL acting CEO Mato Madlala were tasked with ironing out issues with the sponsorship and reporting back to the JLC.
"OUTsurance was on the agenda as part of an administration report‚" Paul said.
"The matter is ongoing in discussions in the JLC. And there’s progress on that. Matters are being dealt with in an amicable manner. The JLC meeting on Tuesday went very well and we are working together to find a solution," Paul said.
"I think the parties all understand where it is. We have explained the situation [that] we are no different in terms of how the referees’ sponsorship is working anywhere else in the world," Paul said.
"So‚ the National Soccer League [parent company of the PSL] understood that point of view too.
"We also understood some of the questions that they have raised. And myself and the acting CEO of the league will get together and we’ll try and work out a proposal‚ and we’ll take it back to the JLC. And if it needs to go any further we will jointly decide how to do that."
Safa signed the sponsorship with OUTsurance without consultation with the PSL‚ in whose matches the referees are set to officiate sporting the eye-catching green and purple colours of the insurance company.
This caused issues when the PSL’s financial services sponsors, Absa and Nedbank, raised concerns that the sponsorship diminishes their rights.
Teething problems such as only one set of referees’ apparel being available‚ resulting in clashes with the colours of certain clubs‚ need to be ironed out‚ Paul said.
"Those are some of the mechanics that we recognised and that the parties recognised have to be dealt with‚" he said.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
SOCCER REFEREES
Safa and PSL on way to resolving sponsorship row
The heated OUTsurance refereeing sponsorship dispute between the SA Football Association (Safa) and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is being resolved amicably‚ says Safa acting CEO Russell Paul.
He confirmed that the dispute over Safa’s R50m sponsorship signed with the insurance company for match officials was discussed at the association’s ordinary council meeting at Safa House on Saturday.
He said a meeting of the Safa-PSL joint liaison committee (JLC) held on Tuesday had been conducted amicably.
Paul said he and PSL acting CEO Mato Madlala were tasked with ironing out issues with the sponsorship and reporting back to the JLC.
"OUTsurance was on the agenda as part of an administration report‚" Paul said.
"The matter is ongoing in discussions in the JLC. And there’s progress on that. Matters are being dealt with in an amicable manner. The JLC meeting on Tuesday went very well and we are working together to find a solution," Paul said.
"I think the parties all understand where it is. We have explained the situation [that] we are no different in terms of how the referees’ sponsorship is working anywhere else in the world," Paul said.
"So‚ the National Soccer League [parent company of the PSL] understood that point of view too.
"We also understood some of the questions that they have raised. And myself and the acting CEO of the league will get together and we’ll try and work out a proposal‚ and we’ll take it back to the JLC. And if it needs to go any further we will jointly decide how to do that."
Safa signed the sponsorship with OUTsurance without consultation with the PSL‚ in whose matches the referees are set to officiate sporting the eye-catching green and purple colours of the insurance company.
This caused issues when the PSL’s financial services sponsors, Absa and Nedbank, raised concerns that the sponsorship diminishes their rights.
Teething problems such as only one set of referees’ apparel being available‚ resulting in clashes with the colours of certain clubs‚ need to be ironed out‚ Paul said.
"Those are some of the mechanics that we recognised and that the parties recognised have to be dealt with‚" he said.
Top ref Victor Hlungwani iced out for not wearing OUTsurance kit
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