Wydad Athletic Club have settled their financial dispute with Italian club Bologna and player Naim Bayar after paying the outstanding amount from the player’s previous transfer, taking an important step towards having their registration ban lifted before the start of the Moroccan league season.
The Moroccan club paid the remaining 180 million Moroccan centimes, equivalent to about $196,000, to bring the case to a conclusion.
Wydad’s management has now begun the legal and administrative procedures needed to remove the restriction imposed by the FIFA Disputes Committee.
The outstanding sum represented part of a transfer agreement worth 350 million Moroccan centimes, approximately $381,000. According to sources within the club, the failure to pay the full amount had resulted in the dispute and subsequent registration penalty.
The source said Wydad has now paid the remaining balance in full and expects the necessary administrative procedures to be completed so the ban can be officially lifted.
The settlement comes as the club prepares for the new football season and seeks to resolve several outstanding financial matters that have complicated its preparations.
Wydad still face four FIFA disputes
While the Bayar case has been resolved, Wydad’s financial work is not over.
The club continues to have four other dispute files open with FIFA and its management is attempting to settle the outstanding dues as quickly as possible.
Wydad are keen to avoid further administrative complications that could interfere with preparations for the new campaign.
The club’s immediate objective is to have the registration restriction formally removed. Doing so would allow it to register new players and make them available for official matches once the season begins.
The timing is particularly important because the summer transfer window is nearing its end.
Wydad’s management wants to complete the legal processes connected to its new signings and ensure the players can be registered in time to contribute to the team when competitive action starts.
The successful resolution of the Bayar dispute is therefore viewed as an important step, although the remaining four cases still require attention.
Club attempts to draw line under financial problems
The latest payment is part of a wider strategy by Wydad’s administration to resolve financial disputes left from previous periods.
The management is working to close the club’s outstanding files with FIFA and establish better conditions for the team ahead of the coming season.
Wydad’s legal team is working with the club’s officials to resolve the remaining cases and secure the removal of the penalty.
The administration hopes that dealing with these financial matters will allow the club to concentrate on its sporting objectives.
Wydad are aiming to build a squad capable of competing successfully in Moroccan football while also challenging in continental competitions. Having access to their new signings will be an important part of those plans.
For that to happen, however, the club must complete the remaining administrative procedures and resolve the outstanding disputes.
Fans wait for registration ban to be lifted
The settlement with Bologna and Bayar will provide some encouragement to Wydad supporters, but the club’s fans are now waiting for official confirmation that the registration restriction has been removed.
Lifting the ban would give Wydad the opportunity to register their new recruits and strengthen the squad before the Moroccan league gets under way.
The club’s management is consequently working against the clock, particularly with the summer transfer window approaching its close.
Its legal representatives and administrators must now continue efforts to resolve the four remaining FIFA cases while completing the formal process linked to the Bayar settlement.
The broader objective is to put Wydad’s previous financial problems behind them and create the conditions for a more focused sporting campaign.
The club wants to enter the new season with a squad capable of competing domestically and across the continent, but its ability to do so will depend partly on how quickly the remaining administrative issues are resolved.
For now, settling the dispute involving Bologna and Naim Bayar represents a significant step forward. Wydad’s next challenge is to turn that progress into the full removal of the registration ban and ensure their new players are available when the Moroccan league begins.
