Al-Nassr board of directors disbanded over club operating irregularities

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sports on Sunday disbanded Al-Nassr’s board of directors after finding a number of irregularities in the way the club operated. (File/AFP)

• The ministry announced finding six irregularities
• Violations included club president overstepping his authority

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sports on Sunday disbanded Al-Nassr’s board of directors after finding a number of irregularities in the way the club operated.
Just hours after Al-Nassr thrashed Al-Batin 7-0 in the Saudi Pro League, president Safwan Al-Suwaiket was replaced by Abdullah Al-Dakhil, who will run the club until the end of the season. In the meantime, procedures will be put in place for a new president and board to be selected.
Al-Suwaiket started his four-year term as president in summer 2019 and, earlier this month, accepted the resignation of three board members in a very public sign that not all was well behind the scenes. 
The ministry said that, on March 9, it had received a complaint from one member on how Al-Nassr, one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest clubs, was run.
After carrying out what it said were thorough investigations, the ministry announced finding six irregularities.
“The club president exceeded his statutory powers, by taking individual decisions without taking into account the necessary legal procedures,” the ministry said on social media. “He also signed bank checks that had no financial consideration in the club’s account, which led to the club being subjected to legal claims.”
As well as Al-Suwaiket overstepping his authority, other violations included a failure to deal with resignations in the usual manner, the club running a budget deficit that was outside the parameters set by sporting authorities, publishing official decisions without holding meetings to discuss them, and the president failing to respond to the ministry’s request for documentation.
Al-Nassr officials refused to comment when asked by Arab News and Al-Suwaiket has, so far, also kept quiet. But he quickly deleted the title of “Al-Nassr President” from the biography section of his Twitter account.
The announcement marks another episode in an already chaotic season for the nine-time Saudi champions on and off the pitch, with the club making headlines for the wrong reasons.
In February, Al-Nassr was hit with a three-window transfer ban by FIFA after failing to pay Galatasaray the required transfer fee for Brazilian star Maicon Pereria Roque.
Later that same month, the club became involved in a racism row after an altercation between Hussein Abdulghani, a member of Al-Nassr’s coaching staff, and Al-Shabab’s Brazilian winger Sebastian Junior in a league game.
On the pitch, the 2019 champions and last season’s runners-up have performed inconsistently and currently sit in fifth place with six games remaining, 12 points behind leaders Al-Hilal. 
Al-Nassr are still in the hunt for a top three finish and a place in next year’s Asian Champions League, but are six points behind Al-Ittihad in third.