Wydad Casablanca has officially announced the mutual termination of Hakim Ziyech’s contract, marking the end of the Moroccan international midfielder's short-lived journey with the club. The announcement came in an official statement released on Sunday, concluding the 33-year-old's tenure that was marred by reported disagreements with the club’s management.
In their statement, Wydad acknowledged that Ziyech's time with the squad was not as long as initially expected, yet emphasized the significant impact he made during his stay. The club expressed gratitude for his contributions and underscored that a player's legacy should be evaluated not solely based on the length of their contract but also on their influence and connection to the team. This sentiment highlights the emotional ties that can develop between players and clubs, even in brief encounters.
The decision to terminate the contract came after a series of tensions between Ziyech and the newly established management team at Wydad, primarily revolving around discussions related to his salary and contract terms. Reports suggest that the club was looking for a reduction in wages, while Ziyech stood firm on the conditions of his existing agreement. The situation escalated further when Ziyech found himself excluded from a match against Renaissance Zemamra and later omitted from the team's training camp in Agadir. Furthermore, he was reportedly instructed to train separately at the Mohamed Benjelloun complex, a move that added to the friction between the player and the management.
In a dramatic turn of events, Ziyech took the initiative to bring a bailiff to the training facility to document his grievances, signaling the potential for the dispute to escalate to football authorities. However, both parties ultimately sought to avoid a prolonged legal battle and reached a mutual agreement to part ways amicably. Following this resolution, Ziyech finds himself as a free agent, poised to contemplate his next career move after his much-anticipated return to Moroccan football.
As reported by leadership.ng.
