Adnan Jastaniah

Whisper of Truth

Fahd Snidi: The Hope Was Greater

July 21, 2026 - 00:00 | Last updated July 21, 2026 - 00:00

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I no longer have anything to write in defense of this administration, after I lost any optimistic outlook towards it, all excuses have been exhausted, most promises have fallen, and nothing remains but to acknowledge one painful truth... that the hope was too great.

I could have held on to my optimistic stance and given Al-Ittihad Club President Engineer Fahd Snidi and his board members more time, in appreciation of what I wrote about two months ago, in an article titled: 'Fahd Snidi... Dismount Immediately, You and Your Board Members', hoping they would respond to demands that were not mine alone, but represented the demands of Al-Ittihad fans, who have long waited for this administration to listen to the voice of reason and logic.

And I wrote then: 'Yes... dismount, for you no longer have time, and there is no room for hesitation or delay. If you have the ability to implement urgent and real reform, start immediately, because Al-Ittihad cannot afford to wait, nor can it tolerate further delay or procrastination.'

Today, after all this time, I have not seen a single real reform that could be built upon hope, nor have I witnessed any work that justifies this administration's insistence on staying until the end of its term, of which less than a month remains. The problem is not that some promises were not fulfilled—that is possible in football—but rather that most of what was said remained confined to statements, while reality was moving in the complete opposite direction.

Therefore, I address the club president, Engineer Fahd Snidi, saying: The hope was greater, O Abu Fares. For everything you announced in your media interviews, meetings with journalists, and statements to the public, none of it turned into tangible reality. The promises remained beautiful words that did not withstand the test of action. Let me remind you of some of what you yourself announced.

Did you not say that Al-Ittihad is the second richest club financially after Al-Hilal? Did you not say that the club has large financial dues from the Professional League, and that the previous administration is responsible for not collecting them, and that your administration is capable of recovering them? Did you not say that terminating some contracts with players, foremost among them Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, will bring great financial benefits to the club's treasury? Did you not say that you would turn to investment in European countries? Did you not announce that there are offers from several foreign companies wishing to invest in Al-Ittihad Club? And did you not confirm that the administration will not stand idly by in the face of any club that exceeds regulations by negotiating with Al-Ittihad players?

Did you not say to our dear colleague Abdulrahman Al-Amer, on the program 'Dorina Ghair', that 'Al-Ittihad is a trust on our shoulders'? And did you not cite the famous saying: 'Work for your worldly life as if you will live forever, and work for your afterlife as if you will die tomorrow.' All these promises were not said by me, nor were they made up by newspapers, but came from the tongue of the club president. Therefore, it is the right of Al-Ittihad fans to ask today: Where did those promises go?

Where is the second richest club, as you described it, when it is unable today to conclude local and foreign deals befitting its history and technical value?

And where is the world-class coach whom you spoke about soon contracting with, and whom Al-Ittihad fans have not seen any trace of to this day? With respect to the current coach.

At a time when other clubs are working quietly and concluding their deals one after another, Al-Ittihad, according to what is being said, is still suffering a financial crisis, so much so that the most common phrase among the fans has become: 'There is no money.' The fans' disappointment is not because you made a mistake—every official is prone to error—but because they believed your promises and raised their hopes based on what you announced, only to crash into a completely tragic reality. Therefore, 'the hope was greater, O Abu Fares.'

You have said more than once, in front of me and a number of colleagues, 'We fear God in performing our work, because we are accountable.' I do not question intentions, but successful management is not measured by good intentions or by what it promises, but by what it achieves on the ground. You know better than anyone that a man is defined by his word and his stance. When a word does not turn into a stance, it loses its value. And when the stance is absent, promises remain mere memories that people exchange.

Therefore, I wished that when you realized the difficulty of the task, you would have shown moral courage and admitted your inability to fulfill what you promised, then taken the decision that would preserve everyone's respect for you. Resignation today would not be counted against you as escape; rather, it might be the last decision that preserves some appreciation for you. As for continuing until the last moment, it will not change reality, nor erase failure, but will add another page to it.

Therefore, the plea is not limited to the club president alone, but extends to the members of the boards of directors of both the non-profit and for-profit institutions. Everything has ended. The justifications are over. The promises are over. The trust balance is exhausted. It is time to leave. Yes.

Leave... before history writes that you were not content with failure, but insisted on staying until the last moment... and let whatever happens be.

In plain Arabic: Al-Ittihad has no need of you. Enough... enough.