FIFA Lifts Suspension: Al-Nassr Free to Resume Activities after Clearing Debt to Leicester
FIFA to Lift Ban on Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Once Debt to Leicester is Settled
Football’s governing body, FIFA, has announced that it will lift the ban on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi club, Al-Nassr, once the club settles its debt with Leicester City, as reported by Hindustan Times.
The debt, totaling €460,000 ($513,000) with an annual interest rate of 5%, was mandated by a FIFA-appointed judge in October 2021. Failure to pay the required amount would result in Al-Nassr being banned from registering new players, both domestically and internationally. This ban would prevent the club from acquiring talented superstars from Europe.
The debt stems from add-ons owed to Leicester City under the transfer deal involving Nigerian player Ahmed Musa. Musa joined Al-Nassr in 2018 for a transfer fee of £14 million plus add-ons and departed the club in 2020 after playing in 50 matches and scoring nine goals.
Currently, Al-Nassr can still purchase new players, but they are unable to register them for playing. FIFA stated that once the outstanding debts are settled, the ban on registering new players will be immediately lifted, pending confirmation by the relevant creditors.
It is worth noting that the Saudi Pro League has gained significant attention in the football world over the past seven months, with high-profile players such as Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N’Golo Kante, and others following in the footsteps of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo.
