AGL consider changes as transfer extension crisis continues

Hugo Viana, centre, and his move from Al Ahli to Al Wasl has the AGL thinking of extending the transfer window. Sarah Dea / The National

DUBAI // The UAE Football Association is considering reopening the summer transfer window for a 48-hour period to resolve the crisis emanating from the decision to extend the original deadline by two hours.

Nasser Al Yamahi, chairman of the FA's Commission on the Status and Transfer of Players, decided to extend the summer transfer window, which came to a close at midnight October 2, by two hours, allowing Baniyas to register Mohammed Nasser and Saad Suroor, and Al Wasl to complete Hugo Viana's move from Al Ahli.

Two other players were registered during that extension, Ahmed Ibrahim by Fujairah and Ahmed Jumaa by Division One club Al Shaab.

The decision as snowballed into a major controversy since and Yousuf Al Serkal, the president of the UAE FA, decided to put a freeze on those transfers following a stormy meeting on October 3 and sought the advice of Fifa, who have rejected the decision to extend the transfer deadline.

Fifa’s decision, which has described the extension as a “procedural error” and a contravention of Article VI of their Regulations on the Status and Transfers of Players, has led to the resignation of Al Yamahi.

Mohammaed Al Menhali, a board member from Baniyas, said a lack of information was frustrating.

“We don’t know, we’ve heard only in newspapers, on Twitter and social media but haven’t heard anything from them [the FA], and that’s why we’re really annoyed. We can’t wait anymore. They have to come back to us with a ‘yes, stop them’ or a ‘no, they can play’.”

With the affected clubs threatening to seek compensation from the FA, the federation is trying to find a way out of the impasse by reopening the transfer window for 48 hours.

“We will form an official delegation comprising members of the FA’s board of directors, the Professional League Committee and legal advisers, and go to Fifa with a new proposal,” Al Serkal said.

Officials from the 14 professional division clubs have been invited for an emergency meeting to discuss the new proposal, and the FA have also contacted a renowned Italian legal expert Mario Gallavotti to seek his advice on the new proposal.

Al Serkal is confident they will be able to get Fifa’s approval for the 48-hour reopening of the transfer window because the sport’s governing body is “careful about not harming the interests of the clubs and ­players”.

“Another thing in our favour is that this whole issue is an internal affair and no other football association or country is involved,” he said. “So we are very optimistic we will be able to find a solution, especially since we have been in continuous contact with Fifa since the problem happened.”

Should Fifa turn down the new proposal, though, Al Serkal said the clubs will have no option but to wait until January to register their ­players.

The UAE football chief insists the affected clubs cannot hold the FA responsible and seek compensation for their “inability to register the players before the close of the transfer window”.

* Additional reporting by John McAuley

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