Sun, 18 Feb 2018 11:12:54 +0000
By MICHAEL MIYOBA
CITY of Lusaka Football Club 2000 Plc majority shareholder Diego Casilli has vowed never to get involved in the management of the football club if led by club chairman Justin Zulu.
On Friday evening Casilli met some members of the community at a meeting held at Woodlands stadium meant to restore sanity at the club.
The meeting, however, went sour as members of the community challenged Casilli to stop interfering in the management of the football club, noting that interference in the management of the club is what has caused the wrangles that the club has continued to experience in the recent past.
The community also challenged Casilli to allow the Justine Zulu led Yamoto to return to woodlands stadium which is their home ground.
Asked on whether he would give in to the community’s requests, Casili said he was “out” as he does not want to get involved with the Justin Zulu led City of Lusaka Football Club executive committee which has been recognised by FAZ to handle football matters at the club.
Casilli said he would only work with the club if the community can conduct fresh elections to elect a new executive which will have the interest of the club at heart.
“The problem we have is that I’m not going to get involved with the Justin Zulu led executive. I’m sorry I can’t. I am out. I’ve spent my money and time supporting this club because I thought it was the best for everyone but you can’t make everyone happy and the way forward is for me to allow them to prove me wrong.
“I am a Zambian who wants progress and I can’t work with inefficient people. I can’t support Justine’s team. That team is not mine. I don’t recognise that team but if they want to use this stadium to train. We will make arrangements with Simataa so that they can be paying because it is expensive to manage this stadium,” Casilli said.
“We are going to do a fair transaction for them to be using the stadium. If they can prove us wrong we will be proud of them. We are out. For this year we will watch from the sideline. Their club is called city of Lusaka FC but it does not belong to the Company City of Lusaka 2000 Plc.”
Casilli added that he would sue FAZ for recognising the team led by Zulu adding that the registration process of the club by FAZ was wrong.
“FAZ has recognised the team led by Justin Zulu which I think is wrong. About 90 percent of the people who understand football know that it is wrong. Because you have to be a legal entity to own a club. We disagree with FAZ’s decision.
“Our problem will now be to tackle FAZ and bring some logic to the institution. We are going to take the matter to court and the bottom line is that the registration of the club is incorrect, we disagree with them and because they did not take time to address the matter direct with us. They sent us a letter directed to Forli not the company, we are going to take the, mater to court.
“If we want to appease rabble rousers that came to make noise at the stadium, then so be it but I will not sponsor the team led by Zulu and Christopher Chilongo. I’m disappointed for Simataa and the coaches because the team he had assembled is a great team and we will disband that team today or Monday,” Casilli said.
