EGYPTIAN outfit Al Ittihad Alexandria are demanding US$700,000 (about K9 million) compensation from Zambia midfielder Felix Katongo for alleged breach of contract.
Katongo confirmed in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that he is at loggerheads with the Egyptian club.
The three-year contract which Katongo, signed last year in July expires in 2017.
Katongo through the Football Association of Zambia, has written to FIFA refuting the alleged breach of the contract allegation.
He asked FIFA to clear him so that he could feature in the Zambian league.
“I left Egypt because they were not paying me. They first owed me for four months and I had my family with me in Egypt. I brought my family to Zambia in December and went back in January…my last game was against Al Ahly in February and still they were not paying me, that is why I left,” the former Zambia midfielder said.
He said he only got paid US$30,000 for two months and wondered why the club is demanding of US$700,000.
“My agent had to get US$10,000 from the US$30,000. Even if I had to go back, they can’t pay me. My hope is for the clearing process to be expedited so that I can start playing in the local league as I wait for my next move,” the Africa Cup winner said.
Katongo is currently training with Super Division Green Buffaloes.
Al Ittihad has since taken the matter to FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) for arbitration.
DRC provides arbitration and dispute resolution on the basis of equal representation of players and clubs.
[Daily Mail]
Who’s fooling who? Hope it’s not you Felix cos $ 700 000 is a stack of money.
$30,000 then agent bamuchekelako $10,000 that is same as 50-50. Yalikosa bola kanshi mwe, from today on I will positively support any player.
Foolish club how can they not pay him and still have the audicity to claim 700,000$ from Felix. Its gud that FAZ have stepped in to assist infact the Egyptians must be sued for breach of contract
Zambian players! I don’t understand why?Is it luck of education or what? Let hhim follow the contents of the contract. What does it say soon not paying the players? Lastly, to whom and where did he report the issue of non payment of salaries? Let him wait for FIFA to reply. If FIFA won’t help him its better he goes back or he pay .
Iwe Stainley, did you even read what Felix said about the reason he left Egypt or you are just ranting without even reading the article? Yes Zambia players can be ignorant or indiscipline such as not honoring their contracts but at the age of Felix, it is wise to give him a benefit of doubt. The man has a family to feed and according to him, he was not paid for 4 months, so what part don’t you understand on that? Can you live in someone’s country without pay? If you are back in Zambia living off your parents, then I understand where you are coming from, but then you have to realized that not everyone is like you and people have to feed their families as Felix has to, hence he had to leave this shady club that wanted to use him as a slave..having him play without pay. I don’t know about you, but I will believe my fellow Zambian than these Muslim infidels that started slavery way back. Let the facts come out before judging Felix on this. The man has a family and kids he has to feed and at his age, I don’t see him leaving a contract that is being honored by both sides. But everyone with their own opinion, so I won’t change yours.
Tc Soccerman I think this is very unfortunate for the player, going for 4 months without pay is not only unacceptable but ridiculous. Nevertheless much as hash as the club’s conditions may sound, there are laid down procedures to follow when dealing with contractual engagements. When a player is not happy with conditions or the club is not honoring its promises.
It’s an obligation of the player to seat with management and resolves those issues if they can’t reach a mutual understanding there is also procedure to follow to part company. That does not mean he has to walk away and immediately begin working with another club, it’s a serious offence the poor man can be heavily punished and lose most of the things he worked for years.
katongo is wrong. if the club fails to pay its does not mean you are a free agent. the player is still contracted to that club.
people in contracts they are what we call clauses,sometimes contracts say if we dont pay you,you can leave some contracts say a lot of things you to understand (but on this page people just talk without understanding a thing a lot more is involved in football) and i belive jet li had a contract if he wasnt being paid then the club was at fault.
These guys especially zambian players they luck understanding not knowing whether it’s education
Contracts must be fully read and understood. If the Egyptian club failed to honour their contractual obligations, Felix had a right to simply inform his agent. Who would have know way in advance because the agent would also not have received his nchekelako.
He was supposed to sit with his agent, then his employers and if possible declare a dispute, inform FIFA and wait for their advise.
I hope he didn’t just walk out after not being paid for 4 months because then the club which reported the matter to FIFA are the complainants and it will be pretty hard for Felix to extract himself from that law suit or cub complaint.
Wish him well, I actually like the character. I also still remember the way he destroyed the IC defence with his deft touches of the ball to pass a sublime ball to his brother in that epic final. We could have wrapped up that one with a Katongo assist to a Katongo superbly finished goal if it wasn’t for the lucky foot of that IC goalkeeper, which kept the ball out by a whisker.
If the Egyptians did not pay Felix for four months, what the hell did they expect him to do? Play for another two or three months on an empty stomach? All I am praying for is a clause in the contract which will take care of this. I hope it is not that he “walked away from his employers” but that “the employers abandoned him”.
Did the employers assume that he was drinking water with his family for the 4 months? Even that won’t Felix have to send the kids to school after drinking water. FIFA should step in as what some of these teams do to the African footballers is deplorable. Unfortunately, this only happens to the black Africans. Quite despicable. If what Felix is saying is true (my guts tell me he is saying the truth), then he should be compensated for going through such difficult times.
Tc soccer man, my bro i do understand contracts very well. Katongo is wrong to just abandon the club without following the Kay down procedure to be followed if the other part is not happy with the way things are moving on the ground. Let us hope he sat with management from the club or report to FIFA and was allowed to leave. Otherwise he will be in for it. the club knows that fk gas a family to look after and he is a foreigner. Guys let not fk ask for sympathy from you he is wrong!
No sympathy needed from anyone. If there is a breach of contract, what happens? If the Egyptians were the first to breach their part of the contract by their non-payment of his salary, what will be the consequences if he breached the same contract by leaving? If Felix had joined or played for another club, that would be a second issue altogether.
You do not know whether he had lengthy discussions with management but you have already given your verdict that he is wrong . Indeed, let us assemble all the facts in this particular situation before passing a definite judgement.
Mr Stanley, interpreting this part of the contract law is not quantum physics . I think we will all be able to grasp the nitty gritty of it based on the facts. We are all speculating at the moment.
Felix has made it clear, the reason he left the Egyptian outfit its non payment of the salary. I don’t think Felix could just pack and leave this club. Consultation was made as to why his salaries had not been paid. As such he has turned to FAZ for help. Again FAZ could not write to FIFA without understanding the clauses of his contract. Non payment of salary is a breach of contract. I support Katongo 100 %.
the biggest problem with us zambians is we know more than the person involved.we easily conclude issues . felix is a human being like u and me, how can he stay for 4months without a salary?felix u did well to come back, don’t listen to ‘bakandile’ u ave the rights to a salary from yo employers, if they are not paying u, leave them
Let us wait and see then. Because we all don’t have facts from both parties to makea wise decision. We wait and see.