Twenty-four days after the signing of Hatem Ben Arfa, the matter is still not resolved. Worse, nobody is communicating about it. The situation is stuck, and yet there is an urgency. The president of OGC Nice, Jean-Pierre Rivère, has responded. He is tired, annoyed, and does not hide his impatience.
More than three weeks have passed, and the situation seems at a standstill. Will Hatem Ben Arfa be in red and black soon, never, in a few weeks? No one knows, the bodies supposed to communicate are silent. This is indeed the crux of the problem, the one that irritates President Rivère.
Hatem Ben Arfa was introduced to the press last January 5th. He couldn’t play the match against Lorient due to an international transfer certificate received late. The situation became complicated after this Ligue 1 match won 3-1. The contract cannot be validated due to an U21 match played in mid-August by the French midfielder. It is this competition that intensifies tensions, whether it is official, unofficial, no one has the answer except the English Federation (FA). They clearly and simply consider the competition as unofficial. Since then, French and international bodies have been passing the buck like a Gasquet-Simon match at Roland Garros, with no substantial action, without any decision.
“The handling of this case is unacceptable, shameful. Hatem has been here since early January. As of today (January 29), no decision has been made. I am almost ashamed of our bodies,” says Jean-Pierre Rivère, furious.
While a decision was expected from the LFP (Ligue de Football Professionnelle) on January 20th, they requested a new, firm, and definitive opinion from FIFA regarding the competition played by Ben Arfa with Newcastle. The surreal statement last week by André Soulier, president of the LFP’s Legal Commission, shocked French football: “I think Hatem can support himself during this period of ‘unemployment’ […] He has a contract. I wish all unemployed people had a contract in hand like him.”
“Soulier does not operate at the speed of football. The bodies lack courage. Why are we so timid here? The bodies do not realize the situation. This decision will be so delayed that it is very penalizing,” explains the President of OGC Nice.
A case could set a precedent, that of Chalobah. The English striker played an U21 match in Chelsea’s colors and then 4 Premier League matches with Burnley. He is currently playing for Reading. The English Federation has not moved because they consider that Chalobah has worn the jersey of two clubs, not three, which is prohibited by FIFA.
“I feel like we are alone in the desert,” concluded President Rivère. Conclusion of the case at a later date. As for predictions, we’ll have to wait…
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