Álvaro Pacheco, a 53-year-old Portuguese coach, has decided to terminate his contract with Al-Orobah, a Saudi Arabian premier league club, due to unpaid wages. The coach took charge of the team in July, but, since the start of the season, he faced problems with salary defaults that lasted until his decision to leave his position. During his tenure, he managed Al-Orobah in 14 matches, including clashes against clubs such as Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr and Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad.
According to information released by the newspaper “Record”, the situation at the club was worsened by the failure to fulfill other promises made to the coach. These failures include aspects related to daily work and squad management, contributing to the malaise and influencing Pacheco’s decision to end his experience in Saudi football. In addition to the Portuguese coach, Emmanuel Boateng, a Ghanaian striker who played for Portuguese clubs such as Moreirense and Rio Ave, also terminated his contract for the same reason and transferred to Gaziantep, in Turkey.
The situation of unpaid wages in Saudi Arabia is not new. A report published by FIFPRO, the international players’ union, in 2023, included the country on a list of places to avoid due to the recurrence of problems related to late payments, says . The document also pointed out other countries, such as Algeria, China, Romania and Türkiye, as risky contexts for professionals in the sport.
In recent years, other similar cases have been recorded in Saudi football. Pepa, Portuguese coach, reported situations of contractual breach in 2023, while Filipe Gouveia reported late wages at Al-Hazm. Lewis Grabban, an English player, sued Al-Ahly in 2022 for lack of payments that included wages and signing bonuses, resulting in compensation of over one million euros.
Despite high investments in big stars and the organization of international events, the Saudi league continues to face challenges in complying with the working conditions of its less popular professionals. The inequality in payments is evident, with players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar topping global income lists, while other athletes and coaches deal with constant delays.
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