RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Basel al-Sabbahin, 27, has been the goalkeeper for Al-Shabab soccer club since 2007. His team has won many championships and he has been awarded several titles, such as best goalkeeper and best player, in local Gaza tournaments.

Sabbahin earned an annual bonus — not salary — of $2,000 in 2015, about $166 per month, making him the highest-paid player among his teammates.

“Being a player in the club’s soccer team was supposed to be my main job, but the economic situation is extremely bad," he told Al-Monitor. "This is why I began working on a number of small projects, such as investment [projects]. But they always end up failing as a result of the deteriorating economic situation in the country. I am married and have two children; I need a decent income.”

Sabbahin said that he has tried to move to other clubs that offer better financial and professional chances, but Al-Shabab rejected his transfer requests, claiming that it cannot find a goalkeeper as good as he is. “I have been with [Al-Shabab] club since I was a child, and I encountered many problems when I expressed my wish to transfer to another club," he said. "In order for me to play for another club, I will need to be released from my current club. However, it will never happen because my transfer request was rejected several times. The club told me it would approve my request under one [impossible] condition, which was to pay $20,000.”