The Lebanese football world was surprised on Thursday evening by the resignation of Al-Ahed club president Tamim Sleiman, the dissolution of the team and the sale of eight players after a heated meeting held at the club’s headquarters.
This meeting also led to the withdrawal of several clubs, which will undoubtedly cause a storm in the football community and could also threaten the start of the championship as scheduled.
Among the reasons behind this decision is the insistence of the Lebanese Football Federation to allow the presence of five foreign players on the field for the 2012-2013 generations championship.
Al-Ahed believes that this decision threatens to destroy the future of Lebanese football after the current administration has already managed to damage its present at the level of local competitions and the Lebanese national team.
Seven years ago, Al-Ahed, a nine-time Lebanese league champion and AFC Cup finalist this season (and winner in 2019), made headlines by beating Egypt’s Zamalek 1-0. Today, seven years after that memorable moment, Al-Ahed could be officially out of the league and age-group championships.
However, no official statement has yet been made by the clubs. It is expected that information will be communicated soon as the situation becomes increasingly evident.
This decision has not satisfied Al-Ahed supporters, who have called for a protest stand in front of the club’s stadium on Saturday at 6:30 PM Beirut time.
We hope that this decision is not final and that a solution will be found to revive Lebanese football after years of suffering and disillusionment.
