In a recent development, FIFA, the international governing body for football, has imposed a financial penalty on Al Ahly Club during the 2023 Club World Cup held in Saudi Arabia last December.
Despite securing the bronze medal and finishing third in the 2023 Club World Cup, following a victory against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the third-place playoff, Al Ahly has now faced a setback with a $100,000 fine from FIFA.
The penalty is attributed to a celebratory gesture made by the team’s duo, Akram Tawfik and Hussein El Shahat, displaying support for Palestine.
FIFA officials and the organizing committee of the Club World Cup deemed this gesture as a political statement.
It is anticipated that the deducted amount will be subtracted from the prize money awarded for clinching the bronze medal in the prestigious tournament.
Club officials, led by President Mahmoud El Khatib, are eagerly awaiting the reception of the prize for achieving the bronze medal in the Club World Cup, held recently in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In the coming days, FIFA will transfer a sum of $2.5 million, equivalent to 77 million Egyptian pounds, to Al Ahly Club as part of the financial rewards following the conclusion of the Christmas holiday break.
