Richard Odada: Transfer Nightmare as FIFA Ban Halts Harambee Stars Midfielder's Debut at Romanian Club

Richard Odada's anticipated move to Romanian top-flight club UTA Arad has hit a major snag, leaving the midfielder unable to make his debut and casting doubt on his immediate future.

The Harambee Stars midfielder joined Arad in September 2025, seeking to revive his career after a challenging period at Scottish club Dundee United, where he saw limited playing time and had a brief loan spell at OFK Beograd.

However, despite the transfer, the defensive midfielder has yet to feature for his new team, a situation that has also seen him omitted from recent Harambee Stars national team squads for the international friendlies against Equatorial Guinea and Senegal.

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The reason for Richard Odada's absence, according to Pepeta, is a severe transfer ban imposed on UTA Arad by FIFA.

The club, led by Alexandru Meszar, is prohibited from registering new players due to outstanding debts owed to former personnel. This sanction effectively prevents Richard Odada's transfer from Dundee United from being officially processed.

According to official FIFA documents, Arad is facing multiple penalties. One ban extends for three consecutive transfer windows, while two others will remain in place until the club settles its financial obligations in full.

This means UTA Arad cannot register any new player, whether through a transfer, loan, or as a free agent, until the debts are cleared.

While UTA Arad is contractually obligated to pay Richard Odada's salary, the midfielder faces a prolonged period on the sidelines until the club resolves its financial issues and the FIFA ban is lifted.

Despite these off-field struggles, the team has performed reasonably well in the league, currently sitting eighth with 22 points from 16 matches.

Meanwhile, the Romanian top-flight club is facing serious allegations from over 10 professional footballers who claim they are owed months of unpaid wages.

The players, many of whom are from outside Romania, have taken their cases to the FIFA Football Tribunal. The list of creditors includes several foreign players who departed the club over the summer, notably Harambee Stars midfielder Eric Johana Omondi.

Other former players awaiting payment are Augustin Vuletich, Lamine Ghezali, Damien Dussaut, Khadim Rassoul, Ibrahima Conte, Paul Mpoku, Shayon Harrison, and Nsungusi Effiong.

The majority of the affected players were released by the Liga 1 side at the conclusion of the 2024/25 season.

Some report being owed as much as five months' worth of salary and bonuses. These individual claims are now pending before FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber.

"I didn't receive a single payment from the club in 2025. This is not normal," one player told FIFPRO, the global players' union. "Payments were always late, and my last salary came in October."

The players shared their experiences with FIFPRO to alert other professionals to the situation at the Romanian club. They described a pattern of delayed payments and unfulfilled promises from club management.

"Throughout the season, the sporting director would tell us, 'your money will come next week,' but it never did," one player revealed.

"Eventually, they paid the players who stayed at UTA past the 2024/25 season, but not those who were released."

Another player added, "Sometimes the coach would say one thing, and the sporting director would come two days later and say something different. We were confused all the time. We were told the money would come eventually and to focus on the games ahead."

Last season, UTA Arad narrowly avoided the relegation play-offs, finishing just three points clear. During the fight for survival, several players who were later released were reportedly given verbal assurances of contract extensions.

"FIFA, UEFA, and the Romanian football federation need to be stricter," a player stated. "It’s too easy for clubs in some countries to not pay players and get away with it. Even when you tell these clubs that you intend to go to FIFA, they don’t care. The club is still in the league; they can still make transfers. For the club, nothing has changed. But for us players, we’re still without the money we’re owed."

According to the Romanian Players Association (AFAN), UTA Arad has since filed for credit protection and has committed to a repayment plan for its creditors, including former players.

However, this schedule could see payments staggered over the next two to three years, affecting Richard Odada’s debut for the club.