During the last few hours, press reports and publications on social media platforms have spread, indicating that the Portuguese club rejected Zamalek’s recent offer to pay the required financial amount in installments, estimated at about one and a half million dollars, in light of the Egyptian team’s need to strengthen its ranks during the next January transfers.
Adham confirms to Sky News Arabia that, “Negotiations with Sporting Lisbon are proceeding at a reassuring pace, and there is no truth to what was rumored about the Portuguese club’s objection to the proposals submitted by the Zamalek Board of Directors to resolve the problem that has been troubling the club during the recent period.”
The beginning of the crisis
Shikabala had moved to Sporting Lisbon in 2014 with a contract lasting 4 and a half years for 257 thousand dollars, with a release clause of 45 million euros. After a year and a half, the relationship between the Egyptian player and the technical staff worsened, and he returned to Zamalek again.
Zamalek obtained the player’s services in exchange for $650,000 in installments, but he did not pay the dues, which prompted the Portuguese party to file a complaint with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), and last July the Egyptian Football Association received a notification to stop the registration on the Zamalek club until its crisis with Sporting ended. .
Cooperation of all parties
Adham, who leads the file of communication with Sporting and resolving the crisis of suspending registration with the club, explains that the Zamalek Board of Directors has made many contacts with the Portuguese team, to present proposals for paying the fine, indicating “full cooperation between all parties.”
Zamalek suffered a financial crisis in recent months, which cast a shadow over the delayed salaries of club workers, as well as the non-payment of players’ dues in a number of sports, such as football, handball, and basketball, and the faltering start of establishing the club’s new branch, before a breakthrough occurred with the election of a new board of directors in the club. Last October.
Zamalek cleared the dust of the seizure crisis on its balances in various Egyptian banks at the beginning of this month, after negotiations with various parties, including the Tax Authority, according to club spokesman Ahmed Salem, so that it has the ability to complete financial transactions normally.
Waiting for a reply
Adham adds: “We are now waiting for Sporting Lisbon to respond and learn about the outcome of the communications that took place between us in the past period, and until the present moment we do not need to travel to Portugal in order to solve the fine issue.”
The Lisbon fine is not the only obstacle to ending the suspension of Zamalek, as FIFA announced that it had taken the same decision due to a complaint from the Nigerian club Lyon, to obtain the right to sponsor the player Samson Akinola, in addition to the demand of the Egyptian Wadi Degla Club for $7,500 in exchange for the right to sponsor Senegalese Ibrahima Ndiaye.
Adham notes to Sky News Arabia that “the most important step at the present time is to finalize the Sporting Lisbon fine and reach an agreement suitable for all,” indicating that the remaining files related to the suspension of registration will be dealt with immediately by the Board of Directors to close this difficult file.
In the event that agreements are completed with all clubs conflicting with Zamalek, FIFA will be notified to inform it of the developments that have taken place, and to reach a settlement or pay the dues, so that the suspension of registration from the Egyptian club will be lifted so that it can conclude new deals.
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