{"id":24388,"date":"2025-08-21T14:08:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T12:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=24388"},"modified":"2026-03-12T09:59:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:59:37","slug":"lucas-ribeiro-alleges-sundowns-sabotaged-his-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/lucas-ribeiro-alleges-sundowns-sabotaged-his-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Lucas Ribeiro Alleges Sundowns Sabotaged His Career with Sky-High Transfer Fee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Brazilian striker Lucas Ribeiro has officially ended his contract with Mamelodi Sundowns, effective 1 August, citing a series of obstacles that hindered his desire to leave the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions. The 26-year-old forward, who earned the PSL Player of the Season award for 2024\u20132025, last featured for Sundowns at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/mamelodi-sundowns-to-cash-in-millions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FIFA Club World Cup<\/a> in the United States, where he impressed onlookers and attracted interest from multiple clubs abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dispute-escalates-to-fifa-tribunal\">Dispute Escalates to FIFA Tribunal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ribeiro has now taken the matter to the FIFA Football Tribunal, seeking clarity on the implications of terminating his contract. \u201cI believe I had just cause to end my contract with Mamelodi Sundowns FC, which I will explain before the FIFA Football Tribunal,\u201d Ribeiro said. He emphasised that his future employer will not be implicated financially or disciplinarily in the dispute with Sundowns, referencing the Diarra ruling that safeguards players in such situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3905810316\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-personal-stability-at-the-heart-of-the-decision\">Personal Stability at the Heart of the Decision<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of Ribeiro\u2019s primary motivations for leaving was to secure personal stability for his family. The striker revealed that the breakdown in negotiations stemmed largely from Sundowns\u2019 inflated transfer demands. \u201cThe deal became impossible because of their unreasonable expectations. They inflated the transfer price in a way that disregarded my career and personal circumstances,\u201d Ribeiro said, highlighting how the club\u2019s approach made a move abroad unfeasible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-international-interest-and-blocked-moves\">International Interest and Blocked Moves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Brazilian had been close to signing with Qatar SC, who reportedly submitted an offer well above Ribeiro\u2019s market value according to Transfermarkt. Despite this, Sundowns repeatedly increased their asking price, ultimately scuppering the deal. Ribeiro\u2019s representative, Jean-Louis Dupont, clarified that the club\u2019s stance left the player with little choice but to pursue legal avenues to defend his professional interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3004106892\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-career-achievements-and-current-form\">Career Achievements and Current Form<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ribeiro enjoyed a standout<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/lucas-ribeiro-dominates-2024-25-psl-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> 2024\u20132025 season<\/a>, leading the PSL with 16 goals in 27 appearances while also contributing nine assists. Despite his departure, Sundowns are preparing for their MTN8 semifinal second-leg clash against Orlando Pirates at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Tshwane, with Ribeiro yet to feature in the current season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lucas-ribeiro-s-future-plans-and-career-focus\">Lucas Ribeiro&#8217;s Future Plans and Career Focus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kickoff.com\/sa-news\/mamelodi-sundowns\/ribeiro-takes-dispute-with-sundowns-to-fifa-tribunal-court?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMT5wdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHtg4s-cRHQtK_0RekYL0uzV_Cg3NNkogiU-vdE_N0F0L-imSW4fVnL4OfxxE_aem_BTkMRD8AtHj1eWuRzdaSFw&amp;sfnsn=scwspwa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ribeiro <\/a>has received expressions of interest from clubs in Europe and elsewhere, but he remains focused on making a decision that prioritises his career development and long-term family stability. \u201cI will now consider what is best for the future of my career in order to make the right choice,\u201d he added, reinforcing his intent to flourish both on and off the pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-4263176721\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-legal-representation-and-next-steps\">Legal Representation and Next Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The striker is represented in the dispute by Barcelona-based attorney Jean-Louis Dupont and is prepared to pursue his case through FIFA, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, or any competent state court if necessary. The saga has underscored the fragile relationship between player and club, with Ribeiro signalling a clear break from Sundowns as he looks to secure his professional and personal future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Related article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/psl-star-ribeiro-credits-for-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PSL Star Lucas Ribeiro Credits Sundowns Teammates for His Success<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brazilian striker Lucas Ribeiro has officially ended his contract with Mamelodi Sundowns, effective 1 August, citing a series of obstacles that hindered his desire to leave the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions. The 26-year-old forward, who earned the PSL Player of the Season award for 2024\u20132025, last featured for Sundowns at the FIFA Club<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":24391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Brazilian striker Lucas Ribeiro has officially ended his contract with Mamelodi Sundowns, effective 1 August, citing a series of obstacles that hindered his...","footnotes":""},"categories":[56,64],"tags":[360,285,288],"class_list":{"0":"post-24388","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"category-sports-news","9":"tag-mamelodi-sundowns","10":"tag-psl-news","11":"tag-soccer"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24388"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24393,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24388\/revisions\/24393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}