Hakim Ziyech challenges Wydad decision as contract dispute deepens

Hakim Ziyech has been left out of Wydad AC’s plans for their pre-season preparations, prompting the Morocco international to challenge the club’s handling of his situation and take steps to document his treatment.

Ziyech had expected to continue with the Casablanca club during the forthcoming season and began preparing with the squad as normal. However, he was omitted from Wydad’s friendly against Renaissance Zemamra before also being excluded from the group travelling to Agadir for a training camp.

The decisions were taken under new Wydad president Ibrahim El Asri and came as a surprise to Ziyech, who had believed his place at the club was secure. According to Moroccan outlet Al Botola, the player had not anticipated such a change after pre-season work had already begun.

The situation has since become increasingly tense. Ziyech was reportedly instructed to train away from the first-team group, leaving him surprised by the sudden change in his status and uncertain about the reasoning behind the club’s decision.

He later broke his silence on Instagram, directing criticism at El Asri as conflicting accounts continued to emerge over who had ordered his exclusion from the squad. The public intervention increased pressure on Wydad’s new management and pushed the dispute beyond internal sporting discussions.

The disagreement has also taken on a legal dimension. After being told to remain in Casablanca and continue training individually, Ziyech brought in a judicial commissioner to document his situation at the Mohamed Benjelloun Complex.

The dispute comes as Wydad attempt to revisit the financial terms of the player’s position, particularly his salary. Information circulating around the case indicates that Ziyech was not prepared to accept changes to the conditions agreed in his contract, adding another layer to the disagreement between the two sides.

Ziyech had been planning to carry on with Wydad in the new campaign, but his exclusion from key elements of the club’s preparations has put that expected continuation in doubt. The club has not, in the information available, provided a definitive public explanation resolving the conflicting accounts surrounding the decision.

Some Wydad figures are now attempting to prevent the disagreement from developing into an open dispute. Efforts are under way to bring Ziyech and El Asri together for a meeting, with the aim of finding an agreement that can settle the issue and preserve the relationship between the player and the club.

For now, Ziyech’s future at Wydad remains unclear, with the disagreement involving both his sporting role and the financial terms of his contract. The proposed meeting could offer an opportunity for both parties to clarify their positions and seek a solution before the dispute escalates further.