Al Ahly can end Jess Thorup contract by paying three-month clause – Sources

Fresh controversy has emerged over the contract of Danish coach Jess Thorup, with growing debate surrounding the penalty clause in his deal with Al Ahly SC following the team’s disappointing run of results.

Ahly suffered a 3-0 defeat against Pyramids on Monday in the Egyptian top-flight.

Thorup was appointed midway through the season on a contract that runs until the end of the 2027/28 campaign.

Recent media reports claimed that Al Ahly would be unable to dismiss the coach before the start of next season unless they paid a compensation package worth three months’ salary, while any termination outside that condition would require the club to settle the full remaining value of his contract.

However, club sources have moved to clarify the situation.

Speaking on Tuesday, sources within Al Ahly said the contract gives both parties the right to terminate the agreement by activating a penalty clause worth three months of the coach’s salary from the following season, 2026/27, without the need for any official matches to be played first.

The same sources added that Thorup’s current contractual season ends on June 30, meaning the club could legally activate the clause from the following day, which would be considered the beginning of the new season.

FIFA Definition of a Season

FIFA regulations define a “season” as a consecutive 12-month period set by each national association, during which official competitions such as league and cup tournaments are staged.

National federations are required to inform FIFA of their registration windows as well as the official start and end dates of each season.

The Egyptian Football Association has already confirmed that the current season runs from June 11, 2025 to May 31, 2026, while the dates for the next campaign have yet to be officially submitted to FIFA.