Etoile Sportive de Metlaoui unable to start Tunisian league season because of financial crisis

Etoile Sportive de Metlaoui have officially announced that they are unable to take part in their first-team matches in the Tunisian league because of a severe financial crisis.

The club said the decision followed the complete absence of financial support since last season, as well as the failure of the supervising authority and supporting institutions to meet their commitments for more than 10 months.

The Tunisian league is scheduled to begin on 22 and 23 August, with Etoile Sportive de Metlaoui due to face Club Africain in their opening fixture.

In a statement, the club said the lack of resources had left its first team unable to make the basic preparations required for the new campaign. The club’s board described the situation as “systematic marginalisation and obstruction of its progress”.

Etoile Sportive de Metlaoui said it had been denied the minimum conditions needed to prepare for the 2026-27 season, leaving the club unable to proceed as planned with its sporting programme.

The statement did not announce any alternative arrangements for the opening match against Club Africain. Instead, the club said the financial situation had reached a point at which all friendly efforts to secure the start of the new season had been exhausted.

The board said the decision was made because of the seriousness of the crisis and warned that the continuing problems could have consequences for the future of the team in the coming period.

The club also criticised the authorities and institutions that it said had abandoned their responsibilities towards Etoile Sportive de Metlaoui. According to the statement, those obligations had remained unfulfilled for more than 10 months, leaving the club without the financial backing it considered necessary to operate.

Its announcement comes shortly before the planned start of the Tunisian league campaign. Etoile Sportive de Metlaoui had been due to begin the season against Club Africain, but the club now says it cannot officially compete in first-team league fixtures under the current circumstances.

The board presented the decision as the result of a prolonged crisis rather than a short-term difficulty. It said support had been absent since the previous season and that the club had been unable to find a workable solution through friendly negotiations.

The financial problems have therefore placed the participation of Etoile Sportive de Metlaoui in the opening round in doubt, while the club has warned that the impact could extend beyond the start of the campaign and affect its future.

The Tunisian league is due to begin on 22 and 23 August for the 2026-27 season.