El Hadary loses fight over ban

The Egyptian goalkeeper must finally serve a four-month ban for breaking his contract with former club Al Ahly.

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Essam El Hadary has lost his last appeal in a legal battle with Fifa, and the Egyptian goalkeeper must finally serve a four-month ban for breaking his contract with former Egyptian club Al Ahly.

The Swiss Federal Court said yesterday it dismissed El Hadary's arguments, after he lost previous rulings at Fifa's disputes panel and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

El Hadary claimed that, at age 37, the ban would negatively affect the rest of his career, and he could not afford to pay Al Ahly the $796,500 (Dh2.9m) compensation ordered by CAS.

El Hadary broke transfer rules by walking out mid-season on Al Ahly to join Swiss club Sion in 2008 within days of helping Egypt win the African Cup of Nations. It was not immediately clear when El Hadary's suspension from club and international football will take effect.

Meanwhile, African football chief Issa Hayatou has been discharged from a Cairo hospital after being taken ill on Thursday.

The 64-year-old was having coffee with officials from Fifa at a conference co-organised by the world governing body and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in the Egyptian capital when he felt unwell.

Suleiman Habuba, the CAF media director, said: "It happened around 9.30pm while he was seated with some officials from Fifa," he said. "We took him to hospital where he was kept for observation and released at 12pm today."