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Interfering in technical matters: what is the truth behind Mendy's dismissal from Al-Ahli Saudi?

The Senegalese star: a legend inside the fortress of trophies

Édouard Mendy's future at Al-Ahli has become a talking point in recent days. Reports suggest the Saudi club want the Senegal goalkeeper gone this summer, even though he remains under contract with "Al-Raqi".

Speculation hasn't stopped at a simple desire to move him on. Talk of internal disputes and the way Mendy handles certain team matters has put his name firmly in the Al-Ahli corridors, raising plenty of questions about what is really going on inside the club.

Accusations of interference in technical matters
The most striking account concerns Roy Pedro. Al-Ahli's sporting director wants Mendy out, convinced the goalkeeper is meddling in technical matters that stretch well beyond his role as a player.
Read also: How does the Saudi transfer market control the Rodri and Barcelona deal?
Mendy's position, according to the reports, has nothing to do with his performances on the pitch. It comes down to how he handles certain matters concerning the team, and that has opened the door to talk of an early exit despite his contract still running.
All of this, though, remains within the realm of rumour. Neither Al-Ahli nor Mendy have issued any official statement confirming a direct dispute between the two parties.

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Mendy's move sparks controversy
Mendy, meanwhile, held talks with several experienced and senior players inside the Al-Ahli dressing room about what the team needed during the summer transfer window.
Those conversations centred on the squad's needs, particularly in midfield. A number of players urged the management to sign a new foreign player capable of strengthening the position after Franck Kessié's departure.
From there, the debate took off. Was Mendy's move simply a natural conversation between team-mates and a leader inside the dressing room, or had he actually overstepped the limits permitted for a player? That question has become the focus of talk about his future.
Al-Ahly settles the controversy
Saudi newspaper "Okaz" told a completely different story. The paper confirmed that Edouard Mendy represents a red line within Al-Ahli, and that the goalkeeper is staying with the team until 2030.
That account flatly contradicts the reports of the management's desire to get rid of the goalkeeper. It also hands Mendy a greater degree of stability before the new season kicks off.

One version speaks of disputes over interference in technical matters. Another insists the goalkeeper is staying until 2030. Mendy's situation remains murky for now, with neither Al-Ahli nor the player offering an official comment to settle the debate and end the speculation over the future of one of the team's most important men.