Parents Scramble as BT Football Academy’s Mismanagement Leaves Youth Abroad
Over 20 minor soccer players from South Africa’s Western Cape remain stranded in Spain after BT Football Academy’s logistical collapse following the Donosti Cup in San Sebastián, held July 7-14, 2025.
The group, which departed July 6, discovered their return tickets were never secured, despite parents paying $2,811.85 (R50,000) each for the “trip of a lifetime.”
Coach Jesse Julius, one of four accompanying the team, told radio host Tracey Lange the academy’s chairman cited “logistical issues.”
Parents, many not affluent, are now fundraising to cover soaring flight costs. BT Football’s owners, Brandon Timmy and Jonique Nel, are unresponsive.
A statement from the academy admitted a $33 477,60 (R600,000) shortfall due to unexpected flight price hikes.
The South African Embassy in Madrid is assisting with visa extensions but cannot fund travel.
With schools reopening soon, parents and Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie face pressure to bring the children home.
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