SC Bastia’s move to sign Mehdi Merghem has triggered a major internal crisis at JS Kabylie, with the Algerian club’s senior management dismissed as uncertainty continues to surround the midfielder’s transfer.
The fallout followed the handling of the 28-year-old’s departure to the French Ligue 2 side, a deal that has exposed serious governance failures at the Canaries.
Mobilis, the club’s majority shareholder, acted swiftly by removing the chairman of the board El Hadi Ould Ali, sporting director Hakim Medane and his assistant Karim Doudane, bringing an abrupt end to their mandates.
At the centre of the dispute is Merghem’s move to SC Bastia, which was officially announced by the Corsican club despite unresolved contractual questions.
Bastia confirmed on Tuesday that “the 28-year-old attacking midfielder has signed with Sporting for six months, with an option for two additional years”.
The club added that “having arrived on a free transfer, Mehdi Merghem joins SC Bastia from JS Kabylie, after accepting the termination of his contract proposed by his club,” while noting that the player is “now awaiting receipt of the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) in order to finalize the player’s registration.”
This announcement stood in stark contrast to JS Kabylie’s position. Late on Monday evening, shortly after the French winter transfer window closed at 20:00 local time, the Algerian club stated that “Mehdi Merghem remains contractually bound to JS Kabylie.”
The conflicting messages have fuelled confusion and heightened tensions between the two clubs.
The International Transfer Certificate has become the decisive element in the case. SC Bastia remain confident that the situation will be resolved quickly, with the club expecting the player to be registered within 24 hours.
Under FIFA regulations, a provisional ITC can be granted within 72 hours of a transfer window closing, even in the event of a dispute.
According to information obtained by LGDF, JS Kabylie had, through a reliable channel, given approval for the termination of Merghem’s contract to the player’s representatives.
However, no official email was sent to formalise the process or to notify the player of his rights, an omission that has proved costly. These procedural failures are understood to have directly influenced Mobilis’ decision to overhaul the club’s leadership.
As the matter now awaits FIFA’s intervention, confidence remains high in Bastia that the transfer will be validated. For JS Kabylie, however, the episode represents a damaging chapter, combining administrative missteps with a public loss of credibility. The final decision is expected soon.
