The Licensing Committee of the Professional League is “disturbed” by the...

The Licensing Committee of the Professional League is “disturbed” by the Saudi clubs’ procrastination

Sources confirmed that the officials of Al-Nasr, Al-Ahly and Al-Wehdah clubs did not address their “financial issues.”

Riyadh: «Middle East»

Informed sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the licensing committee emanating from the Saudi Professional League is disturbed by the irresponsibility that most of the league clubs follow with regard to the criteria for the Asian license, as all clubs were required to complete all the required documents by the end of October 11th. the past.
According to the same sources, Saudi clubs entered their documents in the last hours of the deadline granted to close the specified period, but the delay of many clubs in completing the files forced the officials of the Licensing Committee to request the AFC to give Saudi clubs another opportunity to complete their files, and to prepare special documents. Some contracts for players, coaches and business agents, concerned with internal and external issues.
The process of entering the documents related to the contracts of players, coaches and business agents seems complicated, especially if there are related financial issues that have not been completed by the two parties, as the documents of some clubs reach about 3,000 papers, which makes the issue of examining them a difficult matter that needs a long time on the part of the Licensing Committee Chaired by Muhammad al-Saleem.
A week ago, Asharq Al-Awsat published assurances from informed sources that Al-Nasr, Al-Ahly and Al-Wehdah clubs face complex problems due to cases in which rulings have been issued by the Sports Dispute Settlement Chamber of the Saudi Football Association, especially Al-Nasr on the issue of its former player Abdullah Al-Salem who later moved to the agreement As it committed Al-Nasr to 10 million riyals for the player and his former club Al-Fayhaa.
Informed sources confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi clubs need monthly follow-up on the matter of implementing the governance standards related to the support strategy provided by the Ministry of Sports, as well as the financial and technical standards of the AFC that obligate clubs to submit reliable documents certified by the Football Association. And from the International Football Federation, regarding the issues of players, coaches and business agents who had problems with Saudi clubs, in order to issue the Asian license that allows clubs to participate in the Saudi Professional League, as well as in the Asian championships.
The failure of some Saudi clubs to complete their files and documents required from the licensing committee of the Saudi Professional League will force officials to exclude them from obtaining the license, and thus not participate in the AFC Champions League.
The same sources indicated that Saudi clubs are in dire need of specialists in financial management, risk management and sports law to help them build integrated financial information, especially since the contracts signed with players, coaches and business agents are very huge, and their cost approaches hundreds of millions of riyals.
The AFC will wait for Saudi clubs to complete their papers and documents until the middle of next month, as the licensing committee will have to expedite examining the financial statements of Saudi football teams, and address the losses thereof before announcing the Asian license holders, which has become a headache for Saudi club officials.
According to Article (34) of the Saudi club licenses in the articles of association of the Saudi Professional League, the club licensing section in the association is responsible for matters related to the Saudi club licensing list, according to the decision of the game association in the event that this task is referred to the association.
The second clause of the same article stipulates that all clubs participating in the AFC Champions League must be granted a Saudi club license from the beginning as a minimum, while the third clause stipulates that all member clubs must obtain a participation license in the Saudi Professional League issued by the Club Licensing Department.

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