THE FINAL WHISTLE

BT Academy has closed its doors after Euro tour fiasco

- BY NICOLA DANIELS

BT Academy has closed its doors with immediate effect.

BT Academy came under fire after a group comprising under-14, under-19, and girls' soccer teams was left stranded in Spain when return flights were not booked, despite each participant paying R50 000 for what was supposed to be an all-expenses-paid trip to the Donosti Cup 2025.

The group of coaches, who had been praised for both their performance at the tournament and their support of the stranded players, also resigned last week.

Announcing the club's closure, BT Academy chairperson Brandon Timmy says "a serious mistake" was made on his part in booking the return tickets.

So far, two parents have approached local police with fraud complaints, alleging that they paid the full amount for the trip but were never refunded for the unbooked return flights.

Investigations