Zamalek hit with a new FIFA transfer ban

FIFA has imposed a new transfer of transfer to Egyptian soccer giants Zamalek for not resolving outstanding quotas for an unidentified individual.

The World Football Government body confirmed this in its last list of sanctions published on Wednesday.

Although FIFA did not reveal specific details, the reports of the Egyptian media conjectured that the ban was linked to the fees owed to the former Zamalek coach Jaime Pacheco.

The Portuguese manager’s contract was terminated during the 2020/21 season, which led him to file a complaint before the Arbitration Court for Sport (CAS), which later ordered Zamalek to pay $ 880,000 in compensation.

However, the member of the Zamalek Board, AMR Adham, revealed that Wednesday’s ban was linked to Moroccan striker Khalid Boutaib, whom Zamalek still owes € 983,000 in unpaid installments.

He added that the Cairo -based club had already resolved a significant portion of Boutaib rights, initially for a total of approximately 2.4 million euros.

In addition, Adham acknowledged that Zamalek had not been able to pay the remaining quotas in recent months, which led to FIFA to impose a prohibition of transfer in the club again.

He stressed that Zamalek plans to clear Boutaib’s outstanding quotas before the summer transfer window opens for the new season.

The prohibition imposed by Boutaib is the last of a series of financial disputes that affect the club based in Cairo.

Last year, Zamalek was beaten with a prohibition of three periods due to the outstanding Boutaib installments.

Boutaib, 37, joined Zamalek in January 2019 on the Turkish side Yeni Maltayspor, after an impressive performance for Morocco in the 2018 World Cup.

However, persistent knee injuries hindered their progress in the club, which led the former president to finish his contract of three and a half years after only one year.

In May 2023, Zamalek faced a similar sanction linked to unpaid fees for a former assistant coach under former manager Jesualdo Ferreira. However, the club solved the problem in September 2024 to lift the restriction.

In addition, in September 2021, the club was also beaten with a prohibition of registration of two periods related to its former head coach, Cristian Gross, for quotas.

Despite the recent efforts to resolve financial liabilities under a new management, recurring disputes continue to affect Egyptian power.

In addition, the FIFA prohibited club list includes Egyptian Pyramids FC, Pharco FC, Ismily, Aswan, Eastern Company and Wadi Degla teams.

ahram.org