EPLSC chairman criticizes unhealthy club spending in Ethiopian Premier League

Ethiopian Premier League Share Company (EPLSC) board chairman Lieutenant Fekade Mamo criticized the unhealthy spending habits of Ethiopian clubs. The long-serving Ethiopian Coffee chairman said clubs are spending millions of Birr with no return.

Ethiopian Premier League clubs often spend millions, but results at the national team and continental levels have been very discouraging. It has been eight seasons since an Ethiopian side reached the group stages of the CAF Champions League, and the national team has only qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations twice in the last 15 years.

The outspoken Mamo told national broadcaster EBC that clubs are spending heavily without any investment gain. “We know where our football stands, but when it comes to payment, we are fourth in Africa. We are not getting results based on the huge payments being made. Every club here spends over $751,000 USD (100,000,000 Birr) every year, but there is no gain. There is no profit here.”

EPLSC introduced a new salary budget cap regulation last season to curb the unhealthy spending habits. Clubs can now only spend 50,000,000 Birr (about $361,000) on salaries.

Some clubs said they are negatively affected by the new rules, but the regulation is believed to be the right path for Ethiopian football. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia head coach Betselot Leulsegede has, on many occasions, said the regulation affected the overall performance of his side as the club struggled to sign new players.