The Saudi Sports Arbitration Center rejected Al Hilal Club's request to change the appointed arbitrator in the case concerning the sanctions related to the local Super Cup, leaving the complex file unresolved with no clear progress so far.

Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper confirmed that the center did not approve the replacement of arbitrator Abdulrahman Al-Abdulkarim, explaining that the objection period granted to the parties regarding the list of names has ended, paving the way for the issuance of the final decision in the coming weeks.

The newspaper revealed that Ahmed Abu Amara will represent the Saudi Football Federation, while Mohamed Abdel Raouf has been appointed as the legal representative for Al Hilal Club in the ongoing arbitration proceedings.

Al Hilal's objection is based on the fact that Al-Abdulkareem previously held the position of Head of the Dispute Resolution Chamber. They also objected to Abu Amara due to his former role in the legal department of the federation. However, the arbitration center ruled that there is no conflict of interest as long as neither of them is currently working within the federation.

The roots of the issue trace back to the sanctions imposed on Al Hilal after their withdrawal from the Saudi Super Cup in Hong Kong, justifying it by the extreme fatigue of their players following a busy season that culminated in a historic participation in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

The Appeals Committee overturned the disciplinary decision against Al-Hilal, but at the same time ruled that they lost to Al-Qadisiyah 3-0, disqualifying the team from continuing in the tournament. Additionally, a fine of 500,000 Saudi Riyals was imposed, and the team was deprived of any financial revenues related to the tournament.