Cape Town – A lingering family feud that has threatened to tear apart the Ajax Cape Town football club appeared on Tuesday to be resolved as the Comitis brothers announced they had sold their shares in the club to the Efstathiou family.
However, confusion over the positions held by the Comitis brothers remained this morning as club chief executive George Comitis said he and his brother John, honorary life chairman, had not relinquished their posts – and he would not do so until he was happy with the direction the club was taking.
By contrast, Nic Efstathiou said the agreement struck between the two families on Monday night required that the Comitis brothers resign from their positions.
“We are happy the saga has reached an end, it has not been good for the families the past four years. We need to move forward now for the sake of the club,” said Efstathiou.
The two families have been locked in a a long-running power struggle that saw parent club and majority shareholder Ajax Amsterdam threatening to withdraw its involvement in the past season.
“...One of the families had to take a positive step in putting their personal interests aside for the good of the club,” the Comitis brothers said in a statement.
”Cape Town could not afford to lose its last PSL club and we could not allow family feuding to ruin Ajax CT and the relationship with Ajax Amsterdam, which we have nurtured and developed for over 12 years, since putting the deal together which brought Ajax to South Africa in the first place.”
The Efsthatiou family accepted the Comitis brothers’ offer to sell their shares. The Comitis brothers said they were happy “either way” as Ajax Cape Town was the winner, and they could count on the guidance of Ajax Amsterdam.
“With (manager Ertugral) Muhsin at the helm and the contacts we have already initiated during the off season for the strengthening of the squad, and which we willingly pass over to the new administration, we have every confidence that the club will bounce back and have a successful season,” they said.
On Tuesday morning George Comitis said that he remained chief executive officer “at this stage” and that this would not change “yet”.
“The deal will take some time yet to go through and I will not relinquish this position at least not before I am certain the club is moving in the right direction.
“Ajax Amsterdam is still a 51 percent shareholder in this club and they too will have a lot to say still about what has to happen.” – Cape Argus