Shafaq News- Baghdad
Former Iraqi FootballAssociation (IFA) president Adnan Darjal on Saturday rejected allegations ofirregularities in the distribution of bonuses awarded for Iraq’s qualificationfor the 2026 FIFA World Cup, warning of legal action against those he accusedof “damaging” his reputation.
In a statement, Darjal clarifiedthat national team players received $10,000 each, while eligible administratorsand physiotherapists were paid $5,000 under the mechanism adopted at the time,noting that the remaining $110,000 was earmarked for the country’sforeign-based professional players and was due to be distributed after the IFAelections and his planned trip to Spain with the national team delegation.
According to Darjal, hissecretary, Mohammed Fadhel, transferred the funds to the Association’s FinancialSecretary, Kamel Uday, following the elections, but Uday declined to receivethem because his position within the new administration had not yet beenconfirmed. Board member Ahmed Al-Mousawi later assumed responsibility for thefunds and their distribution to the 11 players entitled to the payments.
“I have spent decades servingIraqi sports as both a player and an administrator, and no case involvingintegrity, trust, or public funds has ever been recorded against me,” hestated, reserving the right to pursue legal action against anyone whointentionally defames him or publishes what he described as inaccurateinformation.
Earlier today, the IFA requestedclarification from Darjal regarding the fate of $500,000 received as a giftfrom the office of Mohammed Al-Halbousi, former Speaker of the Council ofRepresentatives and leader of the Taqaddum Party. The association gave Darjal72 hours to submit a documented written response and warned that legal measurescould follow if the requested clarifications are not provided.