“I never received an answer”: Renan Lodi announces Al Hilal departure amid legal dispute

Renan Lodi has confirmed that he has left Al Hilal, just days after a legal standoff regarding his registration with the Saudi club cut short his time there. The Brazilian fulfiller headed again to his home country after unilaterally ending his deal, claiming his lack of ability to do his work was the motive behind this decision.Although up to eight foreign players are allowed, the club said they did not register Renan Lodi for the 2025–26 Saudi Pro League season due to foreign player restrictions. And after Inzaghi arrived this summer and some additions such as Theo Hernández, Lodi was said to have been omitted from the squad plans.Breaking his silence, Lodi stated, “Over the past few weeks, I tried to reverse this decision with the club to be available for all of Al-Hilal’s matches. But I never received an answer on how this situation could be resolved in a friendly manner.

Al Hilal considers legal action after Renan Lodi’s exit

According to reports, Al Hilal is reportedly considering legal measures following Renan Lodi’s unexpected departure. The club has called his exit a unilateral breach of contract and has suggested it could escalate the matter to governing bodies such as FIFA or the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

It is claimed that the Saudi side is unhappy with how matters have unfolded, particularly as it had spent in the region of €23 million on securing the services of Lodi.

His dismissal, they contend, is an enormous cost in both financial and football terms.The reigning champions did not register Lodi this season, citing the league's strict foreign player quota. The club insisted that they had to follow the rules after numerous high-profile signings over the summer, and unfortunately, Lodi was outside their squad.Also Read: Top 5 highest-earning Al Hilal players 2025-26: Full salary, net worth, and contract revealed

What lies ahead for Renan Lodi

Renan Lodi is back in Brazil, testing the interest of some clubs, now that he no longer has a contract.

He is being monitored by both domestic Brazilian sides and foreign clubs.

His future, however, is in doubt as Al Hilal may still take him to court and make any potential departure difficult in the immediate future. Then the question would have been whether Lodi was legally allowed to unilaterally end his contract.It also serves as a reminder of the difficulties Saudi Arabia's foreign player quotas bring. Big-name signings can be frozen out of the picture very quickly if they do not fit into a new coach's plans, and as this case illustrates, it can trigger contract disputes when players cannot 'play' due to valid contracts.