Zuhoor declares that club operations are outside the mandate of FAM

Chairperson of the Normalization Committee Ahmed Zuhoor has declared today that the association is not mandated to fund the continuous operations of local football clubs.

FAM had however, reached the decision to funnel payments to the First Division Football Clubs amid the past four years to ensure seamless operate of the clubs and disburse salaries of club personnel. Only a few clubs were issued these payments.

Most clubs remained unpaid even by the time the Normalization Committee assumed leadership of the association.

The debt they had accumulated from failure to issue the funds can be issued through a plan, assured Zuhoor, adding that regardless, FAM cannot issue any further funds after concluding these dues.

"All clubs are saying that FAM issue funds. We don't know any further details on this. Nor is there anything to be seen," said Zuhoor.

"So, we are also expecting investigative bodies to confirm through audits which policies mandate this payment."

Zuhoor, who had also previously served as the Minister of Sports assured that he acknowledges the struggles of local clubs, however, said that FIFA also does not condone issuing any further payments for club operations regardless.

Associations issuing payments to football clubs is not the norm, he maintained.

However FIFA had sought AFC's counsel on issuing funds to aid the clubs following several such requests from clubs, he divulged.

"Our delegates who are coordinating at AFC and FIFA responded that operating clubs is not a mandate of FAM. Their salaries and other things - they are not things FAM is obliged to manage. They say that FAM's task is to organize football and coordinate with clubs while connecting the ties between the international arena. And also enforce the necessary rules and regulations as well." explained Zuhoor.

"Therefore, it was never our role to play. This role is not in our mandate."

Zuhoor assured that despite this, all efforts required to ensure progress and development for the clubs are being proceeded outside FAM.

"[We are] reviewing avenues for ensuring survival of clubs through discussions with all sorts of businessmen and government officials. We are doing this work outside of FAM," Zuhoor ensured.

The Normalization Committee was appointed by FIFA to oversee the running of FAM following derailed management and heavy debt crises. Instated for a yearly term, the committee was mandated to recover the misplaced funds, and organize a re-election to return the association back to level of standard operation within the given timeframe.