Abdellah Zoubir free again after contract mess in Saudi Arabia

Abdellah Zoubir is back on the free-agent market after his Saudi move hit a paperwork wall. The French winger left Azerbaijan following his release from Qarabag and, according to L'Équipe, agreed to join Al-Orobah—but the Saudi club could not register the contract.

The issue surfaced before he could take the field: as L'Équipe explains, Al-Orobah eventually told him he would not be able to play this season because the Saudi league never approved the deal, citing a lack of financial guarantees from the club.

From Qarabag to being free

His time in Azerbaijan had been a success. L'Équipe reports that across 379 matches Zoubir scored 79 times and provided 96 assists, and last year he played in the Champions League, with elimination in the play-offs by Newcastle.

Next stop is open

Now, at 34, Zoubir is free to sign with a new club after the Saudi “imbroglio.” For now, what’s clear is that the Al-Orobah agreement was never homologated in time for him to be registered.

What comes next

All that remains is the destination. Saudi Arabia’s administrative block is the reason he has to look again, per L'Équipe.