08-07-2025
'Fans Will Never Understand' – AmaZulu CEO Weighs in on pending SuperSport United Sale
AmaZulu CEO Sinenjabulo Zungu © Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix
Image: Backpages
AmaZulu CEO Sinenjabulo Zungu has delivered a firm defence of football club executives amid the growing backlash to the proposed sale of SuperSport United, arguing that fans rarely understand the true pressures of running a professional team.
SuperSport United's shock decision to sell their club to a private consortium has caused ripples across South African football and is currently pending approval from the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
While the finer details of the transaction remain under wraps, the response from supporters — particularly those loyal to Matsatsantsa — has been overwhelmingly negative.
But Zungu, speaking candidly about the realities of football ownership at the launch of the KZN Premiers' Cup, said it was important for people to grasp how complicated club operations are behind the scenes.
'Fans will never understand — running a football club is extremely expensive,' she said. 'It's not even a question of sympathy, because why would they have sympathy for someone else's business?'
Zungu suggested that supporters often view clubs with emotional attachment, but do not appreciate the commercial and structural demands that influence decision-making.
'You hear people ask why they sold this player or why they bought that player, and that's because of a lack of understanding,' she said.
'We forgive them (the fans), because they don't know — and I didn't know as well before I got into football. But these are the decisions that get taken daily. It's not personal — it's survival.'
The pending sale of SuperSport, a club that has operated for years under the SuperSport television brand, signals a major shift in South African football's commercial landscape.
Zungu said such transitions should not be viewed purely through an emotional lens.
'It's important to note — we don't just wake up and decide to let go of people,' she explained.
'There are negotiations that take place, assessments that must be made, and long-term planning involved. These are the two driving forces of running a football club on a daily basis.'
