Hakim Ziyech takes formal steps in escalating Wydad Casablanca dispute

Hakim Ziyech has taken formal action in his dispute with Wydad Casablanca by attending training with a court-appointed legal official to record the circumstances surrounding his current position at the club.

The Morocco international, who has been left out of Wydad’s pre-season camp in Agadir after refusing to accept a proposed reduction in salary for the final year of his contract, remained in Casablanca on Tuesday.

According to several consistent reports, including from Le360 Sport, Ziyech arrived at the Mohamed Benjelloun complex accompanied by a bailiff. The purpose of the visit was to establish an official record of his situation as tensions with the club’s leadership continue to rise.

Ziyech, 33, was also excluded from Wydad’s friendly against Renaissance Zemamra on the orders of president Ibrahim El Asri. That decision followed the club’s refusal to take him to the pre-season camp after he rejected the demand to lower his wages.

The former Chelsea and Galatasaray player responded publicly several days ago. In a reply to a post on Instagram, he tagged the Wydad president and accused him of spreading lies.

El Asri has not publicly responded to those allegations, but Ziyech has now taken a further step which could prove important if the disagreement develops into a formal legal case.

Because he stayed in Casablanca rather than joining the squad in Agadir, Wydad instructed Ziyech to follow an individual training programme. On Tuesday, no other member of the coaching staff was present at the Mohamed Benjelloun complex, apart from the fitness coach responsible for overseeing his solo session.

His decision to bring in a legal official appears designed to protect his position ahead of a possible dispute before the relevant sporting or legal authorities.

Ziyech joined Wydad last autumn as a free agent after becoming the main transfer priority of former president Hicham Ait Menna. He arrived with the status of the highest-paid player in the history of the Moroccan league.

Reports have suggested that his monthly salary is between 80,000 and 100,000 euros. During his time at the club, Ziyech has made 16 appearances, scoring nine goals and providing two assists.

He has won 64 caps for Morocco and scored 25 international goals. Ziyech was also part of the Chelsea team that won the 2021 UEFA Champions League, before his move to Galatasaray and subsequent return to Morocco with Wydad Casablanca.

The dispute now centres on the final season of his Wydad contract, with the player’s attendance at training alongside a bailiff adding a new formal dimension to the disagreement.