FIFA CLOSE Investigation Into Hibs Zemmama Deal!

Last updated : 05 September 2006 By Steve Forbes


FIFA tonight announced it had ended its probe into the transfer which took Moroccan wizard Merouane Zemmama to Hibs.

The paperwork was said to be falsified and sent from a dodgy Moroccan internet cafe.

Fifa say that would then make it a criminal matter and out of there hands.

The Moroccan Football Federation then suspended Zemmama, but can't do anything out with there own country.

Hibs chairman Rod Petrie previously told the Edinburgh Evening News:

"The player himself denies the existence of any such contract. He is adamant he was freed.

"We are disappointed to be in dispute with another club, but that seems to have arisen after we complied with all steps and after we were told by our national association that the player was ours and ours to play."

"We approached the signing of Zemmama in the same way as we approach the signing of any player," said Petrie.

"Obviously the paperwork was more extensive because of the requirement for a work permit.

"We submitted the documentation to the SFA as it is up to them to obtain international clearance; that is a procedure between the national associations and is not something a club is involved in.

"We were told he was fully registered, he was our player.

"The international transfer certificate transfers the player's registration from the country he was last registered in to the SFA.

"It is part of the regulations that such a certificate is unconditional - you either get it or you do not."

So Zemmama is free to play for Hibs unless the Moroccan police can prove otherwise. GOOD NEWS!