Following its relegation to the first division, an internal crisis has escalated at the Saudi club Damac, prompting a number of employees to file an official complaint with the Ministry of Sports, including accusations of administrative violations within the club.
According to Saudi press reports, nine administrative employees filed a complaint against the current administration, indicating that there were decisions that caused disruption to work within the club, including the withdrawal of some administrative powers, which affected the daily operations.
The complaint also included accusations of allowing some people to participate in administrative work despite previous decisions prohibiting them from doing so, due to their names being linked to files and investigations that have not yet been resolved.
One of the club's most prominent crises stems from the Ministry of Sports opening an official investigation into suspicions related to documents concerning the disbursement of financial rewards exceeding half a million Saudi riyals, pertaining to seven former players in the first team.
According to the initial investigations, documents appeared indicating that the players had received the money, but the players confirmed when their statements were heard that the signatures on the papers were not their real signatures, which prompted the ministry to review the documents and investigate the circumstances of the case.
The crisis became more complicated after employees complained about decisions to reduce the salary ceiling to 4,800 riyals despite the existence of documented contracts, in addition to talk about some employees demanding to submit their resignations if the contracts are not amended.
For its part, the club's management denied some of the accusations, and affirmed its commitment to the instructions and regulations, stressing that no one is allowed to work in violation of official decisions.
These developments come after a difficult season for Damac, which ended with the team's official relegation following a 1-4 loss to Al-Nasr, increasing pressure on the management amid demands to reorganize the internal structure before the start of a new phase in the Yellow League.
The Ministry of Sports continues to review the files related to the club, awaiting the outcome of the investigations and regulatory procedures, amid public anticipation of the fate of one of the Saudi League clubs.
