Al-Hilal’s Apology for the Super Cup: From a Half-Million Riyal Fine to a Possible Ban from the Ministry of Sports’ Financial Programs

Al-Hilal’s “apology” for participating in the Saudi Super Cup, scheduled to be held in Hong Kong from August 19 to 23, has raised legal questions about whether the team will be denied access to the financial programs of the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Professional League, specifically the recruitment programs and the club support strategy.

According to Article (59) of the Disciplinary and Ethics Regulations approved by the Saudi Football Association, paragraph (4/3) states that “a team that refuses to play an official match will be deprived of any financial amount allocated to the level of the game.” This article applies to tournaments held in a knockout format, such as the Saudi Super Cup.

The Football Association announced in an official statement that it had received an apology from Al-Hilal for participating in the Super Cup. It confirmed that the relevant committees had initiated the necessary legal procedures in accordance with the approved regulations. It indicated that the “Regulatory Regulations for the Super Cup Competition” will be implemented in accordance with them, to preserve fair competition and the interests of all stakeholders. Legal experts pointed out that Al Hilal’s withdrawal from the tournament without a clear medical or legal justification would subject it to disciplinary and regulatory sanctions. These sanctions include a fine of up to 500,000 riyals, forfeiting the match, forfeiting the tournament without compensation or the possibility of re-entry, being barred from participating in the next Super Cup, and, perhaps most importantly, depriving the team of any financial allocations for the game’s level, which could include recruitment and support programs allocated by the Ministry and the League.

The experts explained that these sanctions are intended to ensure adherence to official competitions, respect for the approved tournament schedule, and equal opportunities among participating clubs, which aligns with the principles of governance and sports justice.

The Disciplinary and Competitions Committees are expected to resolve this issue in the coming days to determine whether Al Hilal will be punished by depriving it of support, or whether the committees will be satisfied with sporting and regulatory sanctions only.