FIFA bans the Saudi Al-Nassr club temporarily from contracting because of debt

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) announced on Thursday the temporary ban on Al-Nassr Club, the Saudi Arabian club where Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo plays, from signing any new players until its debts are settled.

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed to the French news agency AFP that the Saudi club is currently "prohibited from registering new players due to unpaid debts," confirming the information reported by the British newspaper "The Mirror."

FIFA did not specify the amount or origin of these debts, or whether the transfer of Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozović from Inter Milan to Al-Nassr, which was finalized in early July, is at risk.

The spokesperson simply stated, "The mentioned ban will be lifted once the debts are settled by the relevant creditors."

In October 2021, the FIFA Players' Status Committee ordered Al-Nassr Club to pay €460,000 to Leicester City Football Club, in addition to interest, in a dispute over the transfer of Nigerian player Ahmed Musa, which amounted to a total of €18 million.

According to the decision obtained by the AFP news agency, Al-Nassr may be deprived of signing new players for a period of up to three seasons if payment is not made.

 

AFP