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A compensation fee, which has not been made public, has been agreed by Celtic to buy out the existing contract of Middendorp, official said.
It was agreed almost immediately after Middendorp’s resignation last week as the German-born coach still had a binding agreement with Maritzburg.
Fees of this nature have previously been paid between South African club but are a rarity.
Middendorp jumped ship at Maritzburg on Thursday to take up the vacant Celtic job. But, in a delicious twist of irony, his predecessor at Celtic, Clinton Larsen bounced back into management just eight days after departing Bloemfontein as he was appointed coach of Maritzburg United last Tuesday.
Maritzburg kept silent for several days after Middendorp’s surprise departure but Maritzburg chairman Farook Kadodia finally made a formal response to the departure, in a tersely-worded statement on the club’s website.
“In light of the coach’s outburst in the media after the league games against Mpumalanga Black Aces and Moroka Swallows, and the fact that he was already in contact with Bloemfontein Celtic regarding their head coach vacancy before having even submitted his resignation to us, clearly showed that the coach’s commitment to the club no longer existed.
“I am really disappointed with (his) behaviour as this (is) not what is expected of a head coach. The reaction to the fans was unprofessional and this behaviour is not condoned by the club.”
Larsen and Middendorp are scheduled to go head to head when Celtic host Maritzburg at the Free State Stadium on Tuesday, November 5.
