Zamalek’s appeal against its FIFA registration ban was rejected because of an error in the club’s appeal procedure, regulations expert Amer Al-Amayreh has said.
The Egyptian club was handed a disciplinary registration ban by FIFA after failing to settle outstanding financial dues owed to former defender Salah Mosaddak.
The decision prevents Zamalek from registering new players and has raised concerns over the club’s ability to strengthen its squad during the upcoming winter transfer window.
Mosaddak had unilaterally ended his contract with Zamalek before moving to Wydad Casablanca and subsequently submitting an official complaint to FIFA over unpaid dues.
The Moroccan defender joined Zamalek in January 2025 from Renaissance Zemamra but struggled to establish himself as a regular player. His situation deteriorated after a dispute with the club over the payment of his financial entitlements.
Al-Amayreh has now claimed that Zamalek’s attempt to challenge the disciplinary decision through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was unsuccessful because the club did not follow the correct procedure.
Speaking to the Egyptian channel “Al-Nahar”, Al-Amayreh said he had previously indicated that there was only a very small possibility of Zamalek’s appeal against the registration suspension being rejected.
He added: “Now I can confirm absolutely that the appeal was rejected 100% due to an error in the appeal procedures submitted by the club to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).”
According to Al-Amayreh, Zamalek should have directed its appeal against FIFA, the organisation that imposed the disciplinary sanction, before also challenging the party involved in the dispute.
He explained that the club instead focused its legal action only on Mosaddak.
The regulations expert said the distinction was important because the registration ban itself was imposed by FIFA rather than by the former Zamalek player.
He pointed out that Zamalek did not appeal against the sporting sanction, which he said meant that the Court of Arbitration for Sport would not lift the punishment.
Al-Amayreh therefore described the club’s approach to the appeal as a procedural error that resulted in its complete rejection by the court.
The development leaves Zamalek facing continued uncertainty over the registration ban as the club looks towards the winter transfer window.
The dispute stems from the unpaid financial dues owed to Mosaddak, whose departure from Zamalek was followed by his complaint to FIFA and the subsequent disciplinary action against the Egyptian club.
