Three former Algerian FA presidents sentenced to up to eight years in prison

Three former presidents of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) have been sentenced to prison terms of between six and eight years over financial irregularities linked to the management of the country’s football governing body.

The rulings were delivered on Tuesday, 27 October, by the Sidi M’hamed Court in Algiers following proceedings examining the federation’s financial management and administrative decisions.

Khair Eddine Zetchi and Charafeddine Amara were each sentenced to eight years in prison and fined one million Algerian dinars, while Jahid Zefizef received a six-year prison term and the same fine.

The case involves 19 former federation officials and covers commercial contracts, expenditure and administrative decisions taken during the officials’ respective periods in charge.

Former federation presidents handed prison terms

Zetchi led the Algerian Football Federation from 2017 to 2021 before Amara took over from 2021 to 2022. Zefizef subsequently served as president from 2022 to 2023.

The sentences mark a significant development in a case examining the financial management of Algerian football during those administrations.

The court also sentenced former federation secretaries-general Mohamed Saad and Mounir Debichi, along with former administrative director Abdelghani Naccache, to three years in prison each. They were also fined one million Algerian dinars apiece.

Abdi, the former coach of the Algerian national team, received the same punishment, while other defendants, including former members of the federation’s executive office, were handed prison terms ranging from one to five years.

Commercial contracts and expenditure examined

The proceedings examined several financial and administrative matters, including commercial agreements, federation expenditure and decisions made during the former presidents’ tenures.

Among the contracts discussed was an agreement with German sports equipment manufacturer Adidas, as well as a deal involving a Tunisian travel agency.

During his hearing, Zetchi argued that he should not be held personally responsible for every financial decision taken by the federation, pointing to the organisation’s workforce of approximately 120 employees.

Investigators also examined expenditure during the Covid-19 pandemic, apartment rental arrangements and the circumstances surrounding the determination of the salary paid to the former national team coach.

Sentences fall short of prosecution demands

The prison terms handed down by the court were lower than those requested by the public prosecutor.

Prosecutors had sought 10-year prison sentences for the three former federation presidents, as well as two former secretaries-general.

They also requested a seven-year sentence for the former national team coach and prison terms ranging from five to seven years for several former members of the federation’s executive office.

The case has brought the financial administration of Algerian football under scrutiny, with the latest rulings extending beyond the federation’s former leadership to other officials who served within the organisation.