The dispute between Youcef Belaïli and his former club Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia (where his compatriot Riyad Mahrez plays) is still unresolved.
The player, who had an outstanding season upon his return to Algeria as the top scorer and assist provider for his team, could he be suspended because of this issue?
As a reminder, Youcef Belaïli terminated his contract with Al-Ahli in October 2020, just over a year after signing from Esperance de Tunis for three seasons for a fee of 3 million euros. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Belaïli returned to Algeria and refused to go back to Jeddah, leading to the termination of his contract and a fine of 264,000 euros. This fine was partially paid by MC Alger, his current club, which sought to assist the 31-year-old player at the start of the season.
Although most of the fine has been paid, there remains an amount of 370 euros to be settled. This amount represents a small financial discrepancy due to the conversion between the Swiss franc and the euro. This discrepancy has recently resurfaced, raising concerns about a new suspension for Belaïli.
To clarify the situation, MC Alger released a statement on Tuesday evening:
“The management of MC Alger informs the loyal supporters of the team and the sporting public that it has received a letter from FIFA tonight regarding the situation of our team player Youcef Belaïli and the management of his former team Al-Ahli, concerning the fine imposed on the player in the case he lost earlier. The management of Doyen assures the team that the matter does not require suspension as it is not an unpaid amount but a small financial discrepancy representing the difference between the Swiss franc and the euro (370 euros). The management also assures that the matter will be resolved within the next 48 hours, inchallah.”
MC Alger appears confident in quickly resolving this issue, which should be settled within the next 48 hours. This should avert any suspension for Youcef Belaïli, allowing him to continue playing and performing for his team.
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