Hatem Khimi, chairman of the board of directors of Al-Wahda Club, dropped a bombshell by highlighting a severe financial and administrative crisis plaguing the “Knights of Mecca,” which is represented by the large and unjustified inflation in the salaries of local players, which constitutes a stumbling block to the administration’s moves during the current winter transfer period.
Astronomical figures and modest performance
In a press statement to Okaz newspaper, Khaymi described the current situation as a "major disaster," revealing shocking figures regarding the salaries of some local players on the team. He explained that some players receive monthly salaries of up to 150,000 riyals, while others earn between 60,000 and 80,000 riyals. Khaymi emphasized that these sums are exorbitant by the standards of the First Division (Yellow League), especially when compared to the very low level of performance these players demonstrate on the field.
Binding contracts and legal obstacles
The club president indicated that the administration had been racing against time, holding marathon meetings for the past week to terminate contracts with several players who were not providing the desired technical contribution. The aim was to free up space for the signing of high-quality local players at fair financial terms. However, these efforts encountered legal obstacles, with the administration only succeeding in terminating the contract of player Hussein Al-Issa.
Khaymi added bitterly: “There are more than 5 players we have not been able to terminate yet, because their professional contracts were drafted in a way that leaves no loopholes for the club to end the relationship if the level drops. These contracts extend for two seasons or more, and the players insist on receiving their full dues, which costs the club millions of riyals to no avail.”.
Challenges of returning to the top league
These statements come at a sensitive time for Al-Wahda, one of the oldest and most prestigious clubs in Saudi Arabia. The club is facing immense pressure from its fans in Mecca to quickly return to the ranks of the Saudi Professional League (Yellow League). The winter transfer window is of paramount importance to clubs competing in the league, as it represents their last chance to get back on track and strengthen their squads with players capable of withstanding the pressure of matches in the crucial second half of the season.
Observers believe that the crisis of inflated contracts for local players is not limited to Al-Wahda alone, but is a phenomenon that several Saudi clubs have suffered from, as the exaggerations in salaries lead to the depletion of budgets allocated for foreign contracts, which often make the technical difference.
Roadmap for reform
Khaymi stressed that if the management succeeds in overcoming this obstacle, the team will undergo a complete technical overhaul and a course correction to ensure its ability to win and fiercely compete for promotion. He affirmed that the next step will be to attract local and foreign players capable of turning the tide.
The president of Al-Wahda concluded his speech by emphasizing that the recent victories achieved by the team were the result of psychological work and raising morale, in addition to allocating immediate financial rewards after each victory, stressing the continuation of this motivational approach until the end of the season to ensure the achievement of the goal of promotion.
