"Shakhtar" continues the court case regarding the suspension of contracts with legionnaires and foreign coaches.
Sergey PalkinCEO Serhiy Palkin made the following statement on behalf of FC Shakhtar:
"Ukrainian football club Shakhtar today (March 29, 2023) filed a complaint under Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No. 1/2003 to the Commission of the European Union against FIFA regarding the current suspension of employment contracts with legionnaires and foreign coaches.
This complaint is related to the club's intention to challenge the decision of the FIFA Council to extend the temporary amendments to the FIFA Rules on the Status and Transfer of Players under Circulars 1800 and 1804. Steps have been taken to submit this complaint to the European Commission, given the importance and dependence of Shakhtar FC » from carrying out operations on the transfer market with players within the borders of the European Union, as well as the obvious impact of FIFA's decision on the club's market activity in the EU. Therefore, it is perfectly legal and fair to file this complaint with the EU Commission, as FIFA's actions breach EU competition law.
FC Shakhtar's dispute with FIFA centers on actions by the global soccer governing body in 2022 that led to the automatic suspension of contracts with the club's legionnaires and foreign coaches following Russia's illegal and aggressive invasion of Ukraine. Then many legionnaires left the club as free agents. The excessive measures applied by FIFA resulted in a large loss of income from player transfers and a depletion of the club's main income by an amount of approximately 40 million euros (€).
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected FC Shakhtar's claims, so the club is appealing all decisions in this regard. We will continue to challenge the initial decision taken by the FIFA Council Bureau on 20 June 2022 regarding the automatic suspension of international contracts. FIFA has determined that this decision is valid until June 2023, and the club considers it illegal. There is also a high risk of its further extension until June 2024. All parties are still awaiting the grounds of the Court of Arbitration for Sport's original decision, which was handed down in favor of FIFA in January 2023.
As a club we have faced the bias and unfairness inherent in the international football legal system, a process that lacks fairness and transparency and is clearly not fit for purpose. FIFA has created a system through which it can influence the outcome of Court of Arbitration for Sport decisions, so we are calling on international football to come together and reform the legal procedures and governance standards of our sport.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport must be protected from the influence of all external parties, including FIFA, and be able to rule on cases independently, with complete impartiality and fairness.
We expect the European Commission to understand and appreciate the extreme financial pressure our club is under due to the actions of FIFA while our country is ravaged by an illegal war. Even in these most tragic and desperate times, football offers relief, and we, as a Ukrainian club, hope that we will be allowed to function normally to bring joy to our fans, players and our families," said Palkin.
