Saudi Clubs Hit by Massive AFC Fines: When the Pitch Isn’t the Only Thing Under Scrutiny

Overview of sanctions

Mass sanctions hit Saudi clubs in Asian competitions.

Penalties handed down by competition

Saudi clubs taking part in the Asian cups faced disciplinary sanctions for several violations during past matches.

The Middle East newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported sanctions handed down by the Asian Football Confederation's Disciplinary Committee against several clubs in both the Elite AFC Champions League and the AFC Champions League 2.

Hilal and Al-Ahli were penalized in the Elite AFC Champions League, while Al-Ittihad was spared; Al-Nassr was also sanctioned in the AFC Champions League 2 edition.

The standout penalty was on Al-Hilal: a fine of $35,000, and Uruguayan attacker Darwin Nunez fined $20,000 for not attending media activities after the end of the match against the UAE-side unit in the eighth round of the league phase.

As for Al-Ahli, they were fined a total of $9,250 for delays in entering the pitch before the Shabab Al-Ahli match in the eighth round, plus unauthorized entries by non-permitted individuals.

In AFC Champions League 2, Al-Nasr was fined $1,750 due to the late appearance of players before the start of the second half of the away leg against Arkadag Turkmenistan in the Round of 16.

Punchline 1: If penalties were goals, these teams would lead the league in the Budget Championship—talk about a striker’s salary negotiation.

Punchline 2: The only thing heavier than these fines is the referee’s whistle when the club tries to appeal that it was all just a “friendly.”