adminTadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
PREMIERSHIP clubs are scrambling to supplement their annual budgets which are being weighed down by Covid-19-related costs.
The teams, who rarely make a profit, are bracing for an even more challenging scenario with the 2020 season likely to spill into next year.
The matches are set to be played behind closed doors.
Already, the clubs have been paying for the upkeep of their players and the costs related to technology they are using to monitor their players’ daily training routines.
The PSL medical committee are working round the clock to activate systems which will be forwarded for approval by the Government before the season can be allowed to finally get underway.
ZIFA have provisionally set August/September as the period in which football activities could start.
But, the lengthy delay in the start of the campaign, means the clubs have been paying their staff who are not performing their contractual duties.
In some instances, the clubs have even been forced to top up the salaries to cushion their employees from the rising cost of living as inflation soars.
But, the financial bruises the clubs have had to endure, could be nothing compared to what they will have to fork out when the season finally commences.
“You cannot really tell what is going to happen but there is a very big likelihood of the season, once it commences, to go beyond December, which is the period when we normally end the term,” said Dynamos chairman, Isaiah Mupfurutsa.
“We had already drawn our budget for the 2020 season before the COVID-19 calamity hit us, resulting in the necessary lockdown.
”We have consistently paid our staff although they are not performing any duties for us.
“That means, in terms of our accounting books, we are already in the negative by the time match day one comes along.
“Our club is already running around to make sure everything will be in place for the possible overlap. I would also like to thank our sponsors for remaining with us at a time like this.”
While Dynamos principal sponsors have held on, honouring all their contractual agreements with the Glamour Boys, two of the country’s traditional giants, Highlanders and CAPS United, are in dire straits after sponsors, NetOne, walked out of the marriage.
NetOne, who also used to bankroll the defence forces duo of Black Rhinos and Chapungu, announced last month they were withdrawing their sponsorship to concentrate on other initiatives, including trying to help the country tame the Covid-19 nightmare.
The Green Machine are already having challenges paying their staff and, with the possibility of playing the league without fans, they won’t be getting anything from gate takings.
The club’s vice-president, Nhamo Tutisani, recently told The Herald the team’s budget committee will be sitting down to discuss the challenges.
“Obviously, as a team, we normally do budgets for the club for one season. In this case, the budget was for the period ending December but we know, there is a possibility of an extension beyond that date.
”So, as a team, we are already forward-looking. Remember our thrust is to commercialise the running of our entity,” said Tutisani.
Black Rhinos secretary-general, Edward Mutukwa, said his squad had already started review work on their budget.
“Well, as Black Rhinos, we are very much alive to the fact that the delayed start of the season could mean the delayed end, which means we will need more resources for that extension period.
”We have already started looking into all those factors.
“We are mobilising resources, talking to several potential partners who can help us move on,” he said.
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