Moroccan club RS Berkane has launched legal proceedings against Senegalese forward Paul Valère Bassène following his reported transfer to Iraqi side Al Karma, arguing that the player remains under contract until June 30, 2027.
In a statement issued Sunday, the Botola Pro club said any agreement Bassène may have signed with another team without its prior approval or without complying with the relevant legal procedures would amount to a breach of his contractual obligations.
RS Berkane added that it has referred the matter to the appropriate national and international bodies in a bid to protect its rights.
The dispute follows Al Karma’s announcement, made two days earlier, that it had signed the 25-year-old striker. The Iraqi club said Bassène would join its preseason training camp in Egypt as preparations begin for the new season.
However, Bassène’s representatives have challenged RS Berkane’s position. According to several media reports, the player’s lawyer — who is also his brother and agent — said Bassène had signed a three-year contract with the Moroccan club but claimed that the document presented by RS Berkane is not the one the player actually signed.
Bassène joined RS Berkane in 2023 and had already hinted at his departure earlier this month, before Al Karma officially unveiled him.
In an Instagram post, the Senegalese striker said it was time to bid farewell after three years with the club.
He thanked the club’s management, coaching and medical staff, teammates, supporters and the people of Berkane for their support during his time in Morocco.
The transfer dispute has sparked mixed reactions on social media.
“This is certainly not the player’s fault, but that of his representatives,” one user wrote on X, arguing that Bassène’s responsibility is to focus on football and performances on the pitch.
The controversy intensified after Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara, who also left RS Berkane earlier this year, congratulated Bassène in an Instagram story. Sharing a photo of the striker, Camara wrote: “Congratulations, it’s the smile of freedom.”
Other users criticized Bassène for joining another club before the reported expiration of his contract, with some questioning whether Senegalese players should continue to be recruited by Moroccan clubs.
The dispute now appears set to be settled by football’s governing bodies, which will determine whether Bassène remains contractually tied to RS Berkane or is free to continue his career in Iraq.
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