FIFA ban: 5-time Champions League winners suffer hammer blow from world football body

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has hit Egyptian football powerhouse Zamalek with a transfer ban on Wednesday, April 23rd.

The ban from the world football governing body will last until the 5-time CAF Champions League winners comply with the guidelines from FIFA.

Confirming the FIFA ban, a member of Zamalek’s board Amr Adham while briefing the media stated that the hammer is because the club is still indebted to former Morocco forward Khalid Boutaib, as reported by Egyptian outlet Ahram Online.

Amr Adham further stated that Zamalek still owes Khalid Boutaib €983,000 (N1,790,672,120) in unpaid wages. However, he mentioned that the initial debt was about  €2.4 million (N4,371,936,000), out of which the Egyptian club had paid a significant chunk. 

Zamalek were initially hit with a three-year transfer hammer last year because of Khalid Boutaib but the ban had been reactivated for the Cairo-based club’s failure to fully comply and settle the player’s outstanding wages.

However, Amr Adham is optimistic that Zamalek will clear the backlogs owed Boutaib before the summer transfer window opens.

Khalid Boutaib played 24 games for Zamalek, scoring five goals and registering two assists, before moving to France to join Paris FC.

The 38-year-old currently plies his trade in France with second tier side Pau FC.

Zamalek have a rich long history of receiving transfer bans from the world football governing body. 

The 114-year-old club was sanctioned in May 2023, after failing to pay a former assistant coach but the club swung into action and settled matters and the ban was lifted by September 2024.

Two years prior, in September 2021, the Egyptian clubside also suffered a two-period registration ban for failure to meet the wage demands of ex-head coach Cristian Gross.

Meanwhile, Zamalek currently sit in third position in the Egyptian Premier League with 38 points, two points behind second-place Al Ahly and six points behind league leaders Pyramids FC.

The transfer ban adds more challenges for Zamalek to combat as they continue their aspirations to win laurels.