Durban - Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder George Maluleka has opened up about his unpleasant and abrupt exit from the Naturena based club.
'Mido' as he is effectively known, left a huge section of the Amakhosi contingent with a bitter taste in their mouths when he signed a pre-contract agreement with title rivals Mamelodi Sundowns in the middle of a heated title battle between the two sides.
Maluleka, whose contract was due to expire at the end of that season, revealed on Tuesday while on SAFM Sport that the decision to leave Chiefs wasn't entirely down to him.
"I know some people are still angry, I've heard and seen the comments about me costing Chiefs the title, but what could I do? It's in the past now and I really don't like talking about what happened there. It wasn't my decision," he said.
"It happens all over the world. We couldn't agree on terms and we parted ways with Chiefs. They know why, we couldn't agree on terms."
"Even though there are some fans who are angry, I know some accepted what happened and have sent me positive messages which I appreciated. But now I'd like to focus on AmaZulu and not go back to the past."
Maluleka formed an integral partnership with Willard Katsande in the heart of midfield as the Amakhosi enjoyed a four point buffer on chasing Sundowns.
However the departure of Maluleka coincided with Amakhosi losing their grip on the league title and offered Sundowns the sniff they needed to claw their way back and go tied on points at the top of the standings.
And this left a sour taste in the mouth of then Head Coach Ernst Middendorp who openly admitted the gaping whole left by Maluleka in midfield was one of a few issues the club had been dealing with at the time as the Brazilians hunted them down and eventually pipped them to the title on the final day.
Maluleka made 168 appearances during his time at Chiefs, scoring 11 goals while assisting a further 24. He also won a league title and an MTN trophy.
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