QSL make mad dash for Palestinian players but rules remain opaque
Tamer Seyam, Michel Termanini, Musab Al-Battat, and Mahmoud Wadi. are just some of the latest QSL signings with more in the pipeline.
In the aftermath of the 2023 Asian Cup, Qatar agreed to use its local league as a refuge for a select group of Palestinian players. The doors were initially first opened to Alaadeen Hassan and Amid Mahajna whose livelihoods at Sakhnin and Umm El-Faham were threatened after choosing to play for the national team.
Those two players gave way to six more last season as Ataa Jaber, Mohammed Saleh, Yaser Hamed, Musab Al-Battat, and Michel Termanini signed on at various points of the season. While an exemption was given to Ataa Jaber and Mohammed Saleh which allowed them to play the season Hamed, Al-Battat, and Termanini were only allowed to play in Asian competitions as their clubs could not secure an exemption.
The only other Palestinian players that appeared in the Qatari league were in the second division. Jamal Hamed who was also contracted to Al-Gharafa is part of the country’s naturalization program and will become eligible to represent Al-Annabi in 2027.
It was previously announced that the exemption for Palestinian players would come to an end at the close of the 2024/25 season. That did not come to pass due to heavy lobbying from the Palestine Football Association and clubs who had planned to continue benefiting from the rule.
In August, the successful signings of Michel Termanini and Tamer Seyam were announced by Al-Shammal. That was followed by Mahmoud Wadi signing with Umm Salal, and captain Musab Al-Battat joining Qatar SC.
The quartet of Hassan, Jaber, Mahajna, and Saleh have remained with Al-Arabi, Qatar SC, and Al-Rayyan, respectively.
Mohammed Balah, formerly of Arab Contractors, has also signed with a club in the league.
The leverage of some QSL club has proven to be too strong for the QFA to resist but on the Al-Kass programme Al-Majliis last week the arbitary awarding of exemption status was highlighted as an unfair advantage.
The clubs in the second division have not been so lucky. To date, no Palestinian player has played in the second division. Rami Hamadi who was expected to be in goal for Al-Markhiya on Tuesday but was a late omission as the club had trouble registering him. As a goalkeeper, he is the only player truly in need of an exemption as only locals- or those part of the naturalization project- can play the postition in the Qatari leagues.
Whether or not the exemption for Palestinian players in Qatar should remain is up for debate. The question must be asked- if clubs want Palestinian talent why not sign them to a professional contract using one of the ten foreign roster spots now available?