Omar Maghrabi, CEO of the Saudi Professional League, affirmed that the full responsibility for player contracts, whether renewal or termination, rests with the clubs' administrations. He clarified that the role of the league's talent acquisition program is limited to support and approval based on club requests, not making decisions on their behalf. These decisive clarifications came during the press conference for the talent acquisition program, in response to questions from the Okaz newspaper regarding the mechanism for handling player contracts and their future with their clubs.
Background of the Recruitment Program and Vision 2030
This conference comes amidst the historic transformation of the sports sector in Saudi Arabia, of which the professional player recruitment program is a cornerstone. Launched in the summer of 2023 as part of the Saudi football development strategy within the Kingdom's Vision 2030, the program aims to elevate the competitiveness of the Saudi Professional League and position it among the top 10 leagues globally. The program has attracted a constellation of the world's most prominent football stars, placing the Saudi league in the spotlight of global sports media and bringing about a qualitative leap in its technical and marketing value.
Defining responsibilities: Club first
In response to a specific question about whether the recruitment program could cover the salary of Belgian player Yannick Carrasco should he extend his contract with Al-Shabab, Maghrabi explained that "the matter of including player contracts within the financial allocations rests with the club's management." He added that the club must submit a formal request to include any player's contract in the program's budget, which will then review the request and decide whether to approve it. With this, Maghrabi put an end to speculation, emphasizing that clubs initiate and bear the responsibility for their contractual decisions.
Local and international impact of clarifications
Maghribi's statements are of paramount importance because they outline a clear framework for governance and the relationship between the league and the clubs. At the local level, this mechanism grants clubs complete autonomy in building their teams and managing their technical and financial affairs, while holding them accountable for their decisions. Regarding the issue of Al-Shabab not replacing players after the departure of Senegalese player Habib Diallo and Moroccan player Romain Saïss, Maghribi emphasized that "the departure of players is a technical and administrative matter specific to the club, whether due to the expiration or termination of their contracts, and the club bears full responsibility for the consequences of these decisions.".
On the international level, this transparency in assigning responsibilities enhances the credibility of the Saudi League project in the eyes of players, agents, and international clubs. It confirms that the system operates on professional principles that guarantee the rights of all parties, and clarifies that central government support through the recruitment program does not negate the fundamental and pivotal role of club management in making strategic decisions concerning their teams.
