Clash at the Saudi Clasico: Al Ittihad protests Hamdan's registration with Al Nassr
6 February 2026
Overview
A fresh legal complaint has shaken the Saudi Pro League as Al Ittihad filed a protest over Abdullah Hamdan's eligibility to play for Al Nassr in the Clasico.
Al Nassr defeated Al Ittihad 2-0 at Al-Awwal Park in the 21st round of the Roshen Pro League.
The sports daily Al-Riyadiyah, via its official X account, reported that Al Ittihad filed an official protest challenging Hamdan's participation in the match.
Hamdan joined Al Nassr as a free agent in January after ending his contract with his former club Al Hilal.
Reports on Thursday indicated that the management had received a letter stating that the Professionalism and Licensing Committee of the Saudi Football Federation approved Hamdan's registration on the club roster.
Consequently, Hamdan appeared in the final minute of regulation time in the Clasico against Al Ittihad, and played the six minutes of stoppage time.
Punchline 1: Paperwork moves faster than a counterattack—that's one slick assist for the documents.
Punchline 2: In football and law, the last-minute deadline always steals the show.
