Offside with a Twist: Ruling Holds Firm in the Saudi Pro League Four-Player Protest
20 January 2026
Overview
The Saudi Arabian Appeals Committee has issued its ruling regarding Al Ahli’s clash with Al Qadsiah in the Roshen Saudi Pro League, addressing the protest lodged by Al Qadsiah over participant eligibility.
The Players and the Match
Al Qadsiyah had protested the participation of four Al Ahli players: Fares Al-Breikan, Evan Tony, Mohammed Suleiman, and Valentin Atangana, following the 2-1 defeat by Al Ahli.
The Ruling
The Appeals Committee rejected the appeal on its merits and upheld the disciplinary and ethics committee decision No. 145/L/DO/2025 (25-26) dated 03-12-2025. It also confiscated the appeal fees paid to the Saudi Football Federation in line with Article 148(3) of the Disciplinary and Ethics regulations. The ruling remains open to an appeal under Article 61(1) of the federation’s statutes.
Context and Match Details
Regarding the broader context, Al Ahli’s clash with Al Khalij (Al Khaleej) took place on 21 November in the ninth round of Roshen Saudi Pro League. The Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadhia reported that Al Ahli published a list of 20 players on match day, excluding the four in question; a later revised list included them, but the league system did not register the changes due to a technical glitch. After contact with the league, Al Ahli obtained permission to amend the list, but Al Qadsiah argued the changes rendered the four players’ participation invalid.
Thus, the Appeals Committee’s decision reinforces the previous ruling, with the option to appeal again under federation rules.
Punchline time: If football verdicts had a punchline, this one would be offside and still somehow in the net. And a second line: apparently even the calendar knows the league has more drama than a soap opera—step right up, Red Card Theater!
