Former Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Angelo Tsichlas passed away on Tuesday. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Former Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Angelo Tsichlas, who died in a car accident on Tuesday evening, was deeply passionate about the club and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure its success.
Tsichlas – though he held the chairmanship role – was content to let his managing director wife, Nastasia, take the spotlight as Sundowns dominated the domestic game, particularly in the early stages of the Premiership-era. But do not misconstrue that to mean he was not an integral part of laying the foundation for the Brazilians becoming the giants they are today.
Current Sundowns owner Patrice Motsepe summed up Angelo’s contribution to the club in his message of condolence to the Tsichlas family:
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of (Tsichlas), who was an outstanding football administrator and a close friend. Angelo and Natasha made enormous contributions — with the Krok family and before them Zola Mahobe — to the development and growth of Mamelodi Sundowns.
"We are all immensely grateful to them for laying the foundations for the current success of Mamelodi Sundowns. Angelo will forever live in our hearts and minds. May Angelo Tsichlas’ soul rest in peace.”
While Angelo always cut the figure of a serious club boss who took no nonsense from anyone — be it players or officials — he had a softer side too, often flashing his infectious smile behind the spectacles whenever one visited the Sundowns offices at PresMall in downtown Johannesburg.
A lingering memory I have of Tsichlas is of a night at Loftus Versfeld Stadium when Sundowns won their maiden Castle Premiership title. As the players celebrated on the pitch, Angelo came rushing up to the press box.
Champagne bottle in hand, he called out to the late Edgar Dassie of the Pretoria News.
“Edgar, come down, we are celebrating. You have to join us, you are part of the team,” he beamed, cajoling the veteran journalist who had covered Sundowns for decades.
The delight on Angelo’s face was unmistakable — a man proud that their hard work had borne fruit. The Tsichlas family had taken over ownership of the club, along with the Krok brothers, from Standard Bank, who had acquired Sundowns from Zola Mahobe.
Angelo’s death is sure to have hit Nastasia especially hard, as she is currently helping her sister Maria take care of her ailing husband, Peter Kotroulus, who served as Sundowns team manager during the family's ownership of the club.
The family is yet to release the details of Angelo’s funeral.