Soccer News of Thursday, 22 April 2004

Source: --

Ex-Faisal Coach Threatens Club

Former coach of King Faisal Hans-Dieter Schmidt says he is fed up with what he says are ''intriques'' of the management of King Faisal, and has since threatened to take the GHALCA-top four champions to FIFA, if that is what would compel them to pay him monies he claimed are owed him.

In the meantime, the German says he has already forwarded a complaint to the General Secretary of the GFA, Mr. Kofi Nsiah, to the effect that the club owes him half of his November salary, the whole salary of December, part of that of February, and the whole of March.

Dieter Schmidt, who breezed into town on Monday told this reporter in his hotel in Kumasi that apart from the unpaid salaries due him, the founder of King Faisal Alhaji Karim Grunsah has as well ignored a number of entreaties from a German firm that forwarded playing kits to the club on credit.

"Being the one who led Alhaji to strike the deal, the company has been pestering me for their money" he claimed. Though he conceded that the goods were yet to be handed into the custody of King Faisal, the company insists that payments should be made, since the kits were custom-made to the specifications of King Faisal.

Explaining what must have prompted him to go to FIFA, having already spoken to the GFA chief scribe, the former King Faisal coach said, having arrived in Kumasi on Monday evening, he called the club's Chief Executive, George Amoako for discussions concerning the debt.

He continued that though Amoako agreed to hold discussions with him and made appointment to that effect, the Faisal CEO could not turn up on the appointed time, but when he tried to reach him on phone, he could not get through.

The latest failed meeting with Amoako, according to the coach has confirmed his belief that King Faisal are out to play pranks on him, a situation he has stated he wanted to avoid. He quoted monies owed him by the club as in excess of $20,000.

On the issue of his suspected interest in the Asante Kotoko coaching job, Mr. Dieter Schmidt totally dismissed it and said there was no grain of truth in the rumour.