In this week's edition of Negotiating Behind The Scenes, Craig Bianchi shares a story about how a now former head coach of Moroka Swallows recruited him for another club.
The 46-year-old is a former South African international and has played for reputable teams such as Hellenic and Santos FC.
How did you find out Sundowns were interested?
"I was playing well at the time and receiving national team call-ups. I had a couple of standout performances at Hellenic, and I knew a few teams were showing interest in me.
"One day, we played against Moroka Swallows in 2002, the same year Viktor Bondarenko left Swallows for Mamelodi Sundowns.
"As we warmed up on the field with Swallows on one side and Hellenic on the other, one of our players kicked the ball, and it landed on the Swallows side. Bondarenko, the Swallows coach, stopped the ball.
"To retrieve it, I had to approach him. At the time, he was finishing up with Swallows and had signed some form of a pre-contract with Sundowns.
"He looked at me and said: 'Next season, you'll be playing for my team'.
"Soon after that, I found out there was interest from Sundowns, and Bondarenko was already there. It all made sense – he knew he was heading to Sundowns."
Where did you meet for contract negotiations?
"I didn't meet with the Sundowns management directly. A good friend of mine, Andre Coetzee, handled the deal for me. He was an attorney then and is now an advocate."
So, no negotiations took place?
"Not with me. The offer they sent through was quite good, so there wasn't much to argue about. It included a signing bonus and other benefits."
Any surprises?
"Jo'burg is a different ball game. It's a place to be when you want exposure, and at Sundowns, I'm sure it's even better now."
Did you get what you wanted?
"Definitely. Sundowns is a big club. Everything you would expect from a big club was there… the facilities and everything else."
Did you fulfill your contract?
"Yes, after my initial three-year deal with the club, I extended it for another three years."
What would you change?
"Players nowadays want more money, but the salary I received back then was more than enough for the time. I have no regrets about the move. It improved my life, and even now, things are better because of that transition to Sundowns."