Joao Cancelo: Al Hilal need more than camp absence to pursue FIFA case

Joao Cancelo’s failure to report to Al Hilal’s training camp in Austria does not, by itself, give the Saudi club sufficient grounds to take the player to FIFA, legal expert Turki Al-Shammari has said.

Al-Shammari told Okaz that the absence alone would not prove a contractual breach serious enough to justify terminating Cancelo’s contract or seeking compensation.

He said Al Hilal would first need to demonstrate that Cancelo had been formally informed of the date on which he was expected to join the camp. The club would also have to establish that he stayed away without permission or a legally valid reason.

Before escalating the dispute, Al Hilal would be expected to send official notices instructing the Portugal international to return, according to Al-Shammari.

The club could initially impose disciplinary measures provided for in the contract, such as a warning, a fine or a financial deduction. However, Cancelo would have to be given a full opportunity to explain his position and defend himself.

If his absence continued and he ignored all formal notifications, the situation could then amount to a serious breach of contract. In those circumstances, Al Hilal might be entitled to end the contractual relationship lawfully.

Al-Shammari added that Al Hilal would only be able to approach FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber after completing all the required legal procedures.

At that stage, the club could ask FIFA to confirm that the termination of the contract had been legitimate and seek compensation for any losses it could prove. Sporting sanctions could also be imposed on Cancelo if it were established that the breach occurred during the protected period of the contract.

The legal expert stressed that Al Hilal’s position would not be strengthened simply by media reports or by the player’s failure to attend training.

Instead, the club would need to prepare a complete legal file containing the contract, official correspondence, formal warnings and all other evidence required to show that Cancelo’s absence was deliberate rather than the result of an unforeseen circumstance.

Cancelo remains absent from Al Hilal’s pre-season camp in Austria as speculation continues over his future.

Reports indicate that the 31-year-old wants to return to Barcelona on a permanent basis. Al Hilal, however, are holding out for a fee of 15m euros before agreeing to sell his contract.

Negotiations between the two clubs remain ongoing.

The developments come as Al Hilal continue to assess their legal options over Cancelo’s absence, while the transfer discussions with Barcelona have yet to reach a conclusion.

The Saudi club’s next steps will therefore depend not only on the outcome of the talks but also on whether it can establish, through formal documentation and evidence, that the player breached his contractual obligations.