Al-Ittihad will begin the 2026-27 Libyan Premier League season without the points deduction and other sanctions they were facing after the Libyan Football Federation announced a general amnesty covering previous penalties and violations in domestic competitions.
The decision means Al-Ittihad, the most successful club in Libyan Premier League history with 18 titles, will enter the new campaign with a clean disciplinary record.
The club had been facing a two-point deduction at the start of the new season, as well as a 2-0 defeat being awarded against them in their match with Al-Suwaihli.
They were also due to pay a fine of 25,000 Libyan dinars following the abandonment of their match during last season’s six-team round.
The fixture was halted after protests and supporters entered the pitch, leading to the disciplinary measures against Al-Ittihad.
The general amnesty has now removed those sanctions and gives the club an opportunity to begin the new campaign without the burden of points being taken away.
Al-Ittihad avoid early setback
The federation’s decision is particularly significant for Al-Ittihad because a two-point deduction could have affected their position from the opening day of the new campaign.
Instead, the club will start on an equal footing with the rest of the teams competing in the Premier League.
The amnesty also removes the financial penalty and the disciplinary ruling relating to the Al-Suwaihli fixture.
Al-Suwaihli ended last season by winning the Libyan Premier League title for the first time in the club’s history.
The decision to cancel previous sanctions applies not only to Al-Ittihad but also to a large number of other clubs involved in local competitions.
The federation, headed by Abdul-Mawla Al-Maghribi Al-Qadi, has presented the move as part of efforts to create a more stable environment for Libyan football.
The amnesty comes as the federation also works on broader plans aimed at developing the sport’s administrative and technical structures.
Federation pushes Vision 2030 plans
Al-Maghribi has been involved in discussions with figures from across Libyan football as part of efforts to implement the recommendations of the Vision 2030 dialogue.
An extensive meeting was held in Tripoli involving coaches, former and veteran players and media professionals.
The meeting focused on putting the executive recommendations of the football development initiative into practice.
The federation has also said it wants to encourage wider participation in the management of the game.
Al-Maghribi stressed that the federation’s doors would remain open to national initiatives and announced preparations to establish a founding committee representing different regions of Libya.
That committee is expected to contribute to the development of a legal and administrative framework for restructuring and activating associations representing coaches and veteran athletes.
The objective is to give those groups a greater role in decision-making while also contributing to the development of youth programmes and technical training.
The plans form part of wider attempts to improve the organisation of Libyan football alongside preparations for the new domestic season.
New Premier League season set for October
The federation has also confirmed a date for the start of the next Libyan Premier League campaign.
According to an official Football Federation source who spoke to WinWin, the 53rd edition of the competition will begin on 10 October.
A total of 28 clubs are expected to participate.
They will be divided equally between the western and eastern groups, continuing the structure used for the country’s domestic competition.
The new season will follow Al-Suwaihli’s historic championship success last campaign, when they claimed their first Libyan Premier League title.
For Al-Ittihad, the start of the new campaign will now come without the disciplinary burden that had threatened to put them at an immediate disadvantage.
The general amnesty has effectively reset the club’s disciplinary position and removed the two-point deduction, the 0-2 defeat against Al-Suwaihli and the 25,000-dinar fine.
The decision could therefore prove particularly important for one of Libya’s most successful clubs as they attempt to challenge for another league title.
At the same time, the federation hopes the amnesty and its wider reform programme will contribute to a more stable domestic football environment.
With the league scheduled to begin on 10 October, attention will now turn towards preparations for the 28 participating clubs and the implementation of the federation’s plans for the development of Libyan football.
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