Footballers warned over signing for Saudi Arabian clubs over 'recurring problem'

12 June 2023 , 12:49

870     0

Players have been warned about joining stars such as Karim Benzema in Saudi Arabia (Image: (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images))

Footballers have been warned about following Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in making transfers to Saudi Arabia, with reports of unpaid wages and lack of union protection.

FIFA have outlined the reports in its Dispute Resolution Chamber, with contract breaches leading to players taking action in over 50 cases within the past 12 months. This has resulted in FIFPRO, the union which represents over 65,000 footballers around the world, warning players against making moves to the Gulf State.

Many players are linked with moves to the Saudi Pro League this summer, with N'Golo Kante and Wilfried Zaha the latest who are reported to being close to a transfer as both players' Premier League contracts expire. However, they have been warned against doing so, with multiple case studies detailing a lack of protection for players.

The Athletic report the case of former Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth striker Lewis Grabban, who joined Al-Ahli last summer. He claimed he had not been paid $400,000 (£318,000) in a combination of unpaid wages and a signing on fee, before his contract was terminated.

Grabban claimed he was owed £2.2 million in compensation, although the settlement was ultimately ruled as being $500,000 (£398.2k) in unpaid wages, in addition to $700,000 (£557.4k) of compensation for a breach of contract.

Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush

Cristiano Ronaldo has been urging fellow players to join him in Saudi Arabia (AFP via Getty Images)

Al-Ahli, one of four clubs taken over last week by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) who also own Newcastle United, have now been subject to employment tribunals four times in 18 months. As such, they have now been banned from registering new players for two transfer windows.

In England, such matters are dealt with by the player's union, with support and legal counsel provided to players who suffer poor treatment. However, in Saudi Arabia there is no such union in place, leaving little protection from breaches of contract, as with the case of Grabban.

Unpaid wages has been cited as a “a recurring problem” in Saudi Arabia, who join Algeria, China, Romania and Turkey as nations FIFPRO advise players to avoid.

Following Ronaldo and Benzema's in Saudi Arabia, there was much talk that Lionel Messi would be next to join them. However, he has opted to join Inter Miami in MLS instead, turning down a move despite Cristiano Ronaldo's claims that the league could become among the best in the world.

The Middle-Eastern country, whose head of state is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been consistently accused of using sport to cleanse its international reputation, known as 'Sportswashing'. Human rights abuses are prevalent, with an average of 129 executions taking place each year between 2015 and 2022.

The nation is heavily reliant on oil, with their investment in sports also thought of as being a means of diversifying the country's economy amid the expected depletion of such natural resources in the coming decades.

Will Freeman