Maali Takes Steps to Exit Zamalek Over Unpaid Wages
3 December 2025
Maali Seeks to Terminate His Zamalek Contract
A trusted source close to Abdelhamid Maali, a midfielder with Zamalek, says he has already begun proceedings to terminate his contract due to late salary arrears.
He joined Zamalek last summer from Tangier on a five-year deal.
In exclusive comments to KOOORA, Maali sent a formal warning to Zamalek's management two weeks ago, giving him the right to terminate and depart if the deadlines pass without payment.
The crisis reportedly began about a month ago when he had not received his salary since joining, which angered him and led to multiple requests for payment.
The source said Maali's lawyer attempted to contact the club amicably three times during the grace period to reach a settlement, but none of those attempts received a reply, prompting the player to start formal termination.
Silence from the White Castle Worsens the Crisis
Even though Maali sought unilateral termination, Ittihad Tangier, the Moroccan club, escalated the matter to FIFA, illustrating the depth of the dispute and threatening potential sanctions on the Egyptian side and its future plans, while contact from Zamalek's administration remained non-existent.
Essam Talaby, vice president of Ittihad Tangier and the club's spokesperson, said in TV interviews two months ago that FIFA was approached after negotiations with Zamalek reached a dead end, stressing the decision came after exhausting all amicable avenues.
The club added that a formal complaint was filed with FIFA after negotiations stalled, expressing regret for the development.
He added that the relationship historically between Moroccan and Egyptian clubs rests on mutual respect, hoping Zamalek's management would resolve the crisis amicably, but he stressed that the door remains closed in negotiations, reflecting obstacles to any peaceful solutions at present.
Silence from Zamalek exacerbates the crisis. Talaby warned that the club's lack of communication and failure to respond to official letters is an unfortunate stance, with two official attempts to contact yielding only wait 10 days before contact stopped without any payment.
He noted that the transfer deal for Maali was agreed in two instalments, but Zamalek had not paid a single instalment yet — a clear breach of the contract. The ongoing communication void and failure to meet payments have damaged trust and created an uneasy situation.
Punchline 1: If contracts paid overdue wages, football would be a stadium full of applause and cash.
Punchline 2: In football, the deadline is the only thing that travels faster than a rumor—this time, it found FIFA before the ink dried.
