The withering sentence imposed on Kaizer Chiefs for the widespread violence of their supporters during the recent Supa8 Cup game against Bloemfontein Celtic at the FNB Stadium was on Tuesday diluted a step further.
The arbitration hearing into the controversial affair waived the suspended sentence of two games that had been imposed on Chiefs.
Chiefs were initially fined R100 000, had a suspended fine of R45 000 put into effect and were ordered to play Premier Soccer League (PSL) games against Mamelodi Sundowns and Black Leopards without spectators present because of the vandalism and violence that resulted in damage to the FNB Stadium estimated between R500 000 and R600 000.
A high-court action lodged by Chiefs resulted in the Sundowns game being postponed.
Then the South African Football Association (Safa) appeal board did something of a back-flip over the PSL disciplinary committee’s decision and effectively removed the Sundowns game from being included in the punishment structure by ruling two games of the three-game lockout and not one should be of a suspended nature.
Now, instead of locking out spectators, the arbitrator has ”locked out” the PSL disciplinary committee and the Safa appeal board.
And the PSL, which initially advocated ”a tough line” in wiping out crowd violence and vandalism, has done a somerault over its own decision and proclaimed it welcomes the arbitrator’s decision.
Demonstrating the different standards that apply in Europe and South Africa in such matters was the recent decision by Uefa forcing Inter Milan to play four home Champions League games in front of empty stadiums after an incident not remotely as widespread as that at the FNB Stadium. — Sapa