Santos FC have denied all reports linking the Cape Town-based club to purchasing the GladAfrica Championship status of Steenberg United or any other team under the Premier Soccer League (PSL) umbrella.
"It has been brought to the clubs attention that a rumour published and circulating on a social media platform stating that Santos Football Club has bought the NFD status of Steenberg United," the People's Team said in a statement released on Saturday morning.
"The club can categorically deny that the rumour is untrue and that the club has not purchased the status of Steenberg United.
"The clubs chairman and management were not consulted or contacted to confirm or deny such rumour. This type of false information and unmotivated sensationalism is the cause of many players and football club downfalls.
"The club can therefore clear the air on this matter and state that they have not purchased Steenberg United's NFD status or any other NFD or PSL status."
The People's Team, who won the PSL title in 2001/02 season, have since fallen from grace.
Nine years after their PSL title triumph, Santos were relegated to the National First Division (now known as the GladAfrica Championship) after the 2010/11 season.
Santos were then dropped again after failing to climb out of the relegation zone at the end of the 2016/17 campaign and are now playing in the Western Cape ABC Motsepe League.
The club confirms they have NOT purchased any NFD or PSL status pic.twitter.com/pAzEqdsiWR
— Santos Football Club (@thepeoplesteam) September 26, 2020
- Compiled by Tashreeq Vardien