AmaZulu Sign Bern After Legal Victory Over Spurs

AmaZulu has confirmed the signing of Liam Bern after he was cleared and declared a free agent by the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC).

This move concludes his long-standing dispute with his former club, Cape Town Spurs.

As reported by Sportswire on Tuesday, Bern won his case against Spurs, who had been blocking his transfer to AmaZulu. Spurs argued that he was not a free agent and that a transfer fee was required.

However, Bern, his legal team, and AmaZulu took the matter to the DRC, following a precedent set by his former teammates, Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman.

All three players sought free agency after Spurs were relegated to the ABC Motsepe Regional League at the end of last season. According to PSL regulations, a player’s contract becomes void upon a club’s relegation to that league. Spurs, however, maintained that a transfer fee was still necessary for players with existing contracts.

Speaking on the AmaZulu website, Bern expressed his excitement about joining the club. “I spoke to a lot of players before I came here, and they always told me how much they wanted to join AmaZulu because of the family culture, how well the players are looked after, and the togetherness within the club,” he said.

While Velebayi and Baartman also won their cases and were signed by Kaizer Chiefs, their ability to play has been delayed. Spurs has appealed the DRC’s decision to the South African Football Association (SAFA) Appeals Board, which is why neither player has been able to debut for the Chiefs yet.

Spurs has the option to do the same with Bern’s case, as the SAFA Appeals Board is the final authority for such disputes. It remains to be seen whether Spurs will exercise their right to appeal the DRC’s ruling now that AmaZulu has officially signed the player.