Stadium Management South Africa Chief Executive Officer Bertie Grobbelaar has revealed why Mamelodi Sundowns were not allowed to used FNB Stadium’s usual dressing room against Orlando Pirates.
The Brazilians emerged from the tunnel slightly late as they had to make a longer walk from the older changing rooms they were allocated, which were situated further away.
According to Groobelaar's clarification, the main changing room at FNB Stadium is usually designated for Kaizer Chiefs.
Due to an agreement between the Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA) and Chiefs, this room remained closed.
As a result, the home team, Pirates, utilised the away-team changing room, and Sundowns had to use older changing room located at a greater distance from the pitch.
WHY SUNDOWNS HAD TO USE OLD CHANGING ROOM AT FNB STADIUM
“It’s more of a club matter. As far as the change room matter, there’s nothing sinister when there was a discussion to playing the game here,” Grobbelaar told Thabiso Mosia on Radio2000 as quoted by iDiski Times.
“We’ve got a contractual agreement arrangement with Kaizer Chiefs as the tenant team that for the Betway Premiership they do not need to vacate their changing room and it will not be used.
“So we then renovated and built a new change room in the old change rooms and that was what made available to the clubs.
“So nothing sinister from Stadium Management, nothing sinister from Orlando Pirates – it was in the agreement that we concluded with them.
“For the Betway Premiership they [the Chiefs change room] can’t be used. There were alignment meetings and there were match commissioner meetings, so I really don’t understand the issue around that was communicated.”
