Etoile of Tunisia ordered to pay US$1.4 million to Ahly within 45 days over Coulibaly move

Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - Tunisia's Etoile du Sahel and Ivorian striker Souleymane Coulibaly were ordered by FIFA to pay US$1.4 million to Ahly of Egypt within 45 days or risk facing a raft of sanctions, the Egyptian giants announced here on Saturday

Ahly had lodged a fresh complaint with the world governing body last month after Etoile failed to pay the US$1.4 million penalty imposed on them and Coulibaly over the player's acrimonious exit from the Cairo club in the summer of 2017.

Coulibaly, then a key member of Ahly's squad, abruptly left the club four months after joining them, saying he had received "slave treatment" at the hands of Africa's most successful side.

However, his claims were never substantiated and he was eventually ordered by FIFA to pay US$1.4 million to his former club for breaching a three-and-a-half year deal.

Although Ahly said in October last year that they had reached a financial settlement with Etoile, the Tunisian side, which hired Coulibaly in the summer of 2019, did not reportedly honour the agreement.

Ahly said on Saturday that FIFA's ruling stipulates that Etoile would be banned from registering any new players for up to three consecutive transfer windows and Coulibaly would be suspended for six months should they fail to pay the fine within 45 days.

Both sanctions will be lifted once Etoile pays the fine, Ahly added. The club also said Etoile would have to pay an additional 15 percent interest.

-0- PANA VAO 19July2020