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JEDDAH, 16 November 2004 — Saudi soccer star, 28-year-old Ibrahim Al-Mufrej, has decided to quit sports once and for all. Though he had signed a SR200,000 contract with Al-Hilal Football Club at the beginning of the season, his decision was made as a result of psychological problems due to the “evil eye,” Alam Alriadah, a sister publication of Arab News, reported. Mufrej has been undergoing treatment for the past several weeks but has not recovered. For that reason, he has decided to give up his sporting career. Mufrej, who previously played for Al-Riyadh Club, developed psychological problems soon after signing the contract with Al-Hilal. For unexplained reasons, he suddenly lost interest in football and was unable to maintain his former standard. Another well-known Saudi footballer, Hamza Idris of Al-Ittihad, suffered similar problems a while ago when he moved from Ohud Club to Ittihad. Idris, however, recovered after undergoing treatment and continued to play with the Jeddah team. He went on to become the world’s third top scorer in the year 2000. |
