The “seal” of Saudi League deals resigns and the association’s adviser as a replacement

The sudden resignation has shaken the pillars of the Saudi Arabian Professional League, after Nigerian Michael Amenalo, the man behind international star deals, decided to step down as the association’s sporting director. His departure comes at a sensitive time, raising a thousand questions about the future of the polarizing project that has changed the face of Saudi football.

This comes as the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Al-Meshal, was sacked after being kicked out of the first round of the 2026 World Cup, which is currently being held in America, Canada and Mexico.

The newspaper confirmed.Middle EastAminalo, the main official in charge of foreign player contracts, tendered his resignation today, Monday, via an email to the association’s management, thus ending a nearly three-year journey since his appointment in 2023.

So far, the reasons behind the “Godfather of Deals” decision to leave have not been made clear, and the Saudi Arabian Professional League has remained silent with no official comment on the move or its timing.

According to reports, the position of replacing Amenalo will be taken by the adviser of the executive director of the association, the Spanish Jesus Arroyo. It is expected that the procedures related to his official appointment will be completed in the coming period.

Amenalo had been in charge of the sport’s administration and had overseen the project to bring in foreign players, coordinating with the relevant authorities, in a phase that saw the league’s clubs sign contracts with some of the world’s most famous stars. He also participated in the development and implementation of recruiting mechanisms over the past three seasons and oversaw the technical aspects of the program, which aimed to increase the league’s competitive level and expand its global presence.

The Saudi Arabian Professional League is expected to reveal the details of the administrative change in the coming days and the mechanism for handing over responsibilities to Jesus Arroyo, who served as an adviser to the CEO before Amenalo was elected next.