Egyptian player Hamza Abdelkarim is still eagerly awaiting his first appearance with the Spanish club Barcelona. However, his patience may be tested for a longer period due to administrative and financial complications facing the Spanish club in registering him.
Reports today, Thursday, revealed a new obstacle delaying the first appearance of former Al Ahly player Hamza Abdelkarim with Barcelona.
Barcelona finalizes a strategic deal
The Egyptian player is considered one of the strategic signings Barcelona made during the winter transfer window to strengthen its reserve team.
Abdelkarim (18 years old) is seen as one of the key prospects for the club. Therefore, a clause was included in his contract to facilitate the completion of the deal even if he does not play the specified number of matches. However, his registration procedures could be costly, meaning his first match is unlikely to be before the end of March at the earliest.
It was indicated that Barcelona guarantees the completion of the deal if they decide to proceed, which the sporting directors have no doubt about given what they have seen from the player in training.
It was confirmed: “There is a clause in Hamza Abdelkarim’s contract stating that Barcelona must activate the purchase option if he plays more than 45 minutes in six official matches with the Barcelona reserve team. The club would then have to pay 1.5 million euros to Al Ahly as a purchase fee, plus an additional three million euros in add-ons if the striker achieves certain performance-related goals in the future.”
– Agreement between UEFA and Real Madrid to settle their disputes over the European Super League
– Barcelona strengthens its lead in the Spanish league with a hat-trick in Mallorca
It was revealed that bureaucratic procedures are what is delaying the Egyptian striker’s appearance with Barcelona for a period that could last at least a month and a half.
It was clarified that the reason is that Hamza Abdelkarim is a player from Egypt, a country not covered by the “Cotonou Agreement.” This makes registering players from outside the European Union more complicated and requires additional time to complete the official procedures.
Barcelona
Barcelona is a historic Mediterranean port city in northeastern Spain, renowned for its unique Catalan culture and distinctive architecture, particularly the modernist works of Antoni Gaudí like the Sagrada Família. Founded as a Roman colony in the 1st century BC, it later became a major medieval power and remains a vibrant cultural and economic hub.
Egypt
Egypt is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, with a recorded history spanning over 5,000 years and famed for its pharaonic monuments like the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Its rich cultural legacy includes significant contributions to writing, architecture, and religion, later influenced by Greco-Roman, Coptic Christian, and Islamic periods following its conquests. Modern Egypt remains a pivotal cultural and political center in the Arab world, centered on the Nile River.
Al Ahly
Al Ahly is a major Egyptian sports club based in Cairo, founded in 1907. It is historically one of Africa’s most successful football clubs, with a record number of continental titles, and has played a significant role in Egyptian social and sporting culture for over a century.
UEFA
UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is the administrative and governing body for association football in Europe, founded in 1954 in Basel, Switzerland. It organizes major club and national team competitions, most notably the UEFA Champions League and the European Championship.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain, founded in 1902. It is one of the world’s most successful and famous sports entities, historically renowned for its European dominance, particularly winning a record number of UEFA Champions League titles. The club’s history is deeply intertwined with Spanish culture and politics, having been granted the title “Real” (Royal) by King Alfonso XIII in 1920.
European Super League
The European Super League was a proposed annual club football competition intended to rival the UEFA Champions League, announced by twelve of Europe’s wealthiest clubs in April 2021. It faced immediate and widespread backlash from fans, players, and governing bodies for its closed format, leading to the collapse of the project within days as most founding clubs withdrew.
Spanish league
The Spanish league, officially known as LaLiga, is the top professional football division in Spain, founded in 1929. It is globally renowned for its historic clubs, such as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, whose intense rivalry has shaped much of its sporting and cultural narrative.
Mallorca
Mallorca is the largest island in Spain’s Balearic archipelago, known for its Mediterranean beaches, mountainous interior, and historic architecture. Its history includes periods of Roman and Islamic rule before being conquered by King James I of Aragon in 1229, which integrated it into the Catalan cultural sphere. The island’s capital, Palma, is home to the notable Gothic cathedral, La Seu, begun in the 13th century on the site of a former mosque.
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 European countries, established after World War II to foster economic cooperation and prevent future conflict. Its foundations were laid with the 1951 European Coal and Steel Community, which evolved through key treaties into the modern EU, featuring a single market and a common currency used by many member states.
Cotonou Agreement
The Cotonou Agreement is a partnership treaty signed in 2000 between the European Union and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States, succeeding the earlier Lomé Conventions. It aims to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development, economic integration, and the gradual integration of ACP states into the world economy through trade, aid, and political dialogue.
