The president of Avenir Sportif de Rejiche, a Tunisian fourth-division football club has disclosed that the club has suspended its activities after 30 of its players emigrated illegally to Europe.
Speaking with newsmen, President Jamil Meftahi said no fewer than 32 players have illegally moved to Europe over the past three years.
“We stopped the activity and suspended the matches 20 days ago,” he added.
He blamed the exodus on “a lack of financial resources” for the club and the players, stressing that “We can’t buy equipment, jerseys and sports shoes” and the players “don’t get financial subsidies”.
In his words, most of the players, aged between 17 and 22, have traveled to Europe “either by sea or by going to Serbia (a country for which Tunisians did not need visas until recently, editor’s note) and then illegally crossing the borders to other countries”.
He added that the suspension of the club’s activities will continue “until we find a solution with the Tunisian Football Federation”.
Recall that in mid-February, the Avenir Sportif de Rejiche club announced that its substitute goalkeeper, Khalil Zaouli, a 19-year-old, had emigrated illegally to Italy because of “the club’s financial difficulties”.
Records have it that in recent years, faced with an economic and social situation that has deteriorated further since the coup de force a year and a half ago by President Kais Saied, thousands of Tunisians have also left the country illegally by sea.
The Italian Interior Ministry revealed to newsmen that more than 14,000 migrants have landed in Italy since the beginning of the year, compared to just over 5,300 in the same period last year and 4,300 in 2021.
