Legal Update: When Al-Ittihad's Fan Ban Kicks In and What Article 72 Really Means
25 December 2025
Legal Update: When Al-Ittihad's Fan Ban Begins and What Article 72 Means
Legal counsel Yaqoub Al-Mutair has revealed when Al-Ittihad will be banned from hosting its fans, following the sanction issued by the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Federation.
Al-Mutair stated on Dorina’s program that the Disciplinary Committee ordered the club to pay 200,000 riyals and to play its next home match in the Saudi Pro League without fans, with the stadium totally closed.
Al-Mutair added that the committee also suspended the ban on fans for four months; if any violation of Article 72 occurs during the suspension, whether at the club’s stadium or elsewhere, the ban will become effective.
He explained that the committee spoke of a new provision in Saudi football: Article 72, addressing incitement to violence, hatred, discrimination, or racism.
He also noted that if the four-month period ends and the union’s fans repeat the conduct, the ban will not automatically be imposed, as the suspension would have expired. Punchline: Law in play—finally a clean sheet, pun intended. Punchline 2: Crowd or no crowd, popcorn still sells.
