Fahad al-Mirdasi, a Saudi referee lined up to take part in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has been removed from duty for Saturday’s Saudi King’s Cup.

He has been referred to investigating authorities – after it was alleged he contacted the president of one finalist requesting payments. British referee Mark Clattenburg, also the head of the Saudi officials’ association, will be calling the King’s Cup Final instead of Al-Miradsi, whose career is in tatters over with reports of recorded phone calls indicating cash payments, team numbers and games in which he was involved in illegal activity.

The story continues to develop, and analysts say more murky details of the management of Saudi football are likely to emerge in the coming weeks.

The case of this Saudi referee uncovers a long line of corrupt politics in football in the Arabian Middle East countries. High stakes and the ruling families immense influence in football, has dragged the beautiful game in disrepute and there is nowhere that this is more evident than the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

No one exactly knows how many games and referees have been bought for certain, but only the naive or those who benefit from such corrupt act will deny the existing of referees for sale in Saudi Arabia. It goes beyond offering money to buy games, threats have been used against those who dare to refuse or speak up. Many Saudi critics talk about the Englishman Mark Clattenburg , who himself was not immune from controversy in England, as the first step towards fighting favoritism, nepotism and corruption in Saudi football. The re-building will take years but the mere fact that the story about Fahad al-Mirdasi has made the media , is in itself a progress in this despot regime and police state.