JEDDAH, 27 November 2007 — Sierra Leone international Mohammad Kallon has added a new twist to the football transfer saga here by making a formal complaint to FIFA saying he has been unfairly treated by Saudi club Al-Hilal.
The ongoing controversy has already claimed one club president, Al-Ittihad Club’s chief Mansour Al-Balawi, who according to inside sources was forced to resign by the country’s highest sports authority. This new complaint is now likely to put pressure on Al-Hilal.
Hilal had previously accused Kallon of fleeing Riyadh with SR1 million of the club’s money in a complaint sent to the director of the Jeddah police department on Nov. 22 — the night Kallon flew to Jeddah in a private jet.
The club quickly dropped the charges the next day in another letter sent to the Jeddah police chief saying that the club’s financial department had informed the administration that the player had not collected the said amount.
The club’s administration also accused Kallon of refusing to undergo a medical examination. Both accusations were strongly denounced by the player saying that the club did not fulfill their verbal agreement and nor did he receive any money.
In his letter to Hilal President Prince Muhammad ibn Faisal, Kallon said that the Riyadh-based club had not fulfilled contract terms that were previously verbally agreed upon, and so he and his agent traveled to Jeddah over the weekend to visit friends and perform Umrah. He added that the club falsely told the Saudi press that it had not reached a final agreement with him because of a failed medical examination. Hilal had also told the press that on account of this the club was no longer interested in concluding the contract. “I never underwent a medical examination in Riyadh,” said Kallon, adding, “The club is aware that the accusations do not contain any legal or factual basis because it does not correspond with the truth. I have never received any sum from the club.”
The international footballer added that Hilal is breaking several principles of Saudi law and FIFA regulations. “Please note that as an international player and in line with the conditions of article 22 of the FIFA regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players (edition 2005), FIFA is entitled (jurisdiction) to analyze any eventual defect or bad faith from the club against me,” said Kallon.
In a report carried by Arab News sister sports newspaper, Arriyadiyah, Al-Hilal’s President Prince Muhammad ibn Faisal accused Al-Ittihad’s President Mansour Al-Balawi of “violating Saudi security laws” for what he described as “smuggling” the player and his agent from Riyadh to Jeddah, since the player arrived in the Kingdom under their “sponsorship.” Two days later Al-Balawi resigned from his office as club president.
