Algerian striker Abdelmalik Ziaya reconsiders his plans to sign to the Saudi Club “Etihad Djeddah”

Several questions have been raised by ES Setif fans concerning the unexpected return of the striker Abdelmalik Ziaya from the Saudi town Djeddah, after spending three days at “Isham” hotel in a bid to sign a two year contract with his new Saudi club, Etihad Djeddah” as agreed upon last December between the ES Setif president, the player himself and his new club’s managers.

• The return of the player the day before yesterday to Algeria was not due his mother’s illness as reported on numerous Algerian and Saudi media, but to fix some outstanding issues between him and his former club notably as concerns the financial matters.
• The player didn’t get the first instalment that ES Setif owes him as part of his deal with this club estimated at around some 100 Thousand Euros, it said. On the other hand, it seems that the player was spoiled by the fact that the Saudi club has breached some provisions included in his contract especially those related to the term’s contract.
• Abdelmalik Ziaya has noticed that the Saudi managers have prolonged the deal by six additional months to put the whole period at two years and half instead of two years initially agreed upon by the two parties. This U-Turn made the player think twice and refused to sign on any document, seizing the opportunity of the stopping of the Saudi’s League competition to make a flash visit to Algeria and confer with his president, Abdelhakim Serrar and the president of the Algerian Football Federation in a bid to settle the matter.
• ES Setif pays the players with a part of his money transfer
• Es Setif managers have the day before yesterday used the money garnered in Ziya’s transfer to Saudi Arabia to pay the last instalment of the club’s players estimated at 500 thousand Euros. In case of a definite accord between Abdelamlik Ziaya and the Saudi managers, 400 Thousand Euros will inflate Es Setif treasury.
• Several Gulf clubs in a rat-race to recruit him
• The return of the player to Etihad Djeddah is bound to series of prerequisites including the reduce of the term’s contract to two years, putting a flat at the player’s disposal like the other professionals and granting permits for four of his family members to settle with him knowing that the player intended to bring his parent with him to Saudi Arabia.
• It should be noted that several Saudi and Qatari clubs openly expressed their interest to sign the player, but this one should get a special derogation from the president of the Algerian football Federation to finalize the operation.
• As time is running out, Abdelmalik Ziaya ,who is summoned to get back to Saudi Arabia tomorrow, has to settle the matter at earliest in order to reach a consensus because any setback would jeopardize his chances to stay among the Algeria squad line up.