Youcef Belaili has accused Djamel Benlamri of lying during a dispute over the Algeria international’s contractual status with MC Alger.
The 34-year-old winger, who has just been cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to return from a one-year suspension imposed by FIFA in relation to his dispute with Ajaccio, is now facing another legal and contractual controversy.
Belaili was officially handed a contract extension by Esperance de Tunis shortly after the CAS decision. However, MC Alger says the player is also bound to the Algerian club by an agreement bearing both signatures. The club maintains that it has a valid claim to the player, who has won 58 caps for Algeria and scored 10 international goals.
The dispute came to a head after Djamel Benlamri, Belaili’s former team-mate with both Algeria and MC Alger, spoke about the situation in his role as the club’s general manager.
Benlamri repeated MC Alger’s warning to Esperance de Tunis and said the agreement with Belaili included a clause providing for his automatic employment once the winger’s suspension had been lifted.
Belaili later responded in a telephone interview with El Heddaf TV, rejecting Benlamri’s account and directly attacking his former international colleague.
“Benlamri is a liar,” Belaili said during the live broadcast.
He also claimed that “the MC Alger pre-contract has expired” and that it “exceeded the 10-day period”.
Those comments appear to suggest that Belaili did sign an agreement with MC Alger. However, his explanation became less clear as the interview continued. He contradicted himself by saying that he had never seen a contract, while also leaving open the possibility of returning to the Mouloudia.
MC Alger has now reportedly escalated the dispute. According to information from El Heddaf TV, the lawyer representing the club, known as the “Doyen of Algerian clubs”, has contacted FIFA and lodged a complaint against Belaili.
The development comes shortly after the player emerged from a lengthy legal battle connected to his suspension. FIFA had initially imposed a 12-month ban in the dispute involving Ajaccio, but the sanction was subsequently lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Belaili had been officially retained by Esperance de Tunis after his suspension was overturned, while MC Alger continued to insist that its own agreement with the Algeria forward should be recognised.
The conflicting claims have left the player facing the prospect of another legal dispute, this time involving his former club and former team-mate. Belaili was part of Algeria’s Africa Cup of Nations-winning team in 2019 and has now been drawn into a fresh controversy before the question of his next club has been resolved.
