Ibrahim

Decisionofthe DisputeResolutionChamber passedon15November2023 regardinganemployment-relateddisputeconcerningtheplayerImoroIbrahim BY: LíviaSILVAKÄGI(Brazil&Switzerland),DeputyChairwoman DanaMOHAMEDAL-NOAIMI(Qatar),member StefanoSARTORI(Italy),member CLAIMANT/COUNTER-RESPONDENT: ClubAlHilalKH,Sudan RepresentedbyPedroMacieirinha RESPONDENT/COUNTERCLAIMANT: ImoroIbrahim,Ghana RepresentedbyAntasdaCunhaeAssociados I.Factsofthecase 1.On3August2022,theSudaneseclubAlHilal(hereinafter:theCluborClaimant/Counter-Respondent)andtheGhanianplayerImoroIbrahim(hereinafter:thePlayerorRespondent-Counterclaimant)enteredintoanemploymentagreement(hereinafter:theContract)validasfromthesamedateuntil2August2027. 2.InaccordancewithContract,theClubundertooktopaytothePlayerinteraliaamonthlysalaryofUSD4,000netplusanadditionalamountofUSD400netashousingallowanceeachmonth. 3.Bycorrespondencedated6June2023,thePlayerputtheClubindefaultofpaymentofUSD12,600asoutstandingremuneration,settingatimelimitexpiringon21June2023inordertoremedythedefault. 4.On9June2023,theClubrepliedtothePlayerarguingthatallbankaccountsinSudanhadbeenfrozenduetotheongoingcivilwar.Inthiscontext,theClubpromisedthePlayertopayallhisduesalariesincash,intheterritoryofEgyptandthata“camp”wouldhavebeenseton20June2023. 5.Onthesamedate,thePlayersentanotherlettertotheClub,informingthelatterofhavingnointentiontoattendthetrainingcampinEgyptincasetheClubhadnotpaidhisoverduesalaries,whileconfirmingtheintentiontoterminatetheContractasperwhatpreviouslystatedinhisdefaultletterdated6June2023. 6.Bymeansofletterdated21June2023,thePlayernotifiedtheunilateralterminationoftheContracttotheClub. II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 7.On18July2023theClubfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionoftheClub 8.Initsclaim,theClubarguedhavingbeennotabletopaythePlayer’ssalariesontimeduetothesocio-politicalcrisissufferedbySudanbecauseofthecivilwarandthesubsequentseizuresofbankaccounts. 9.Inthiscontext,theClubstatedthatalthoughithadpromisedthePlayertopaytheoverdueamountson20June2023duringtherelevantClub’strainingcampinEgypt,thePlayer refusedtotravelandjointheteaminEgypt,henceitwasmateriallyimpossiblefortheClubtopayhim. 10.Inthisrespect,theClubwasoftheopinionthatthePlayeractedinbadfaithandterminatedtheContractwithoutjustcause,hencetheClubheldthatitshallbecompensatedforthesaidbreachbythePlayer.Moreover,theClubarguedthatthePlayerdidnotrespecttheperiodofgracegrantedinhisdefaultnoticedated6June2023sinceheterminatedtheContracton21June2023,namelywithinthe15thday. 11.Incalculatingtheclaimedcompensationforbreachofcontract,theClubcomputedtheresidualvalueoftheContractplusthenon-amortizedtransferfeepreviouslypaidtothePlayer’sformerclub.Inaddition,theClubreferredto6June2023asthedateinwhichthePlayerwouldhavebreachedtheContract,thusthedayasfromwhichtherelevantinterestonthecompensationshallrun. 12.Accordingly,therequestsforreliefoftheClubwere: “(..)thattheClaimant[theClub]didnotbreachtheContract,andthatthenon-paymentoftherelevantamountswasduetoaforcemajeuresituation; (..)thatthePlayerbreachedtheContract,andthenterminateditwithoutjustcause; (..)thattheRespondent[thePlayer]paycompensationforwrongfulterminationintheamountofUSD510,431.50+5%p.a.asinterestsasof6June2023untiltheeffectivedateofpayment”. b.PositionofthePlayer 13.Inhisreply,thePlayerarguedhavingactedingoodfaithbyleavingtimetotheClubtocomplywithitsfinancialobligationsinspiteoftheseveralmonthsofdelay. 14.Furthermore,thePlayerstatedthatalthoughtheClubhadissuedacommunicationaboutatrainingcampinEgypttobeheldon20June2023,thesameClubneverprovidedthePlayerwithanyfurtherdetailnortraveldocuments,hencethePlayerwasnotevenabletotraveltoEgypt. 15.Inparticular,accordingtothePlayer,theClubnevercommunicatedaspecificdatefortheexactpaymentoftheoverduemonies,norithaseverclarifiedthereasonsforthedelayduringthemonthspriortothetermination. 16.Inthiscontext,thePlayerallegedthattheClubfailedtopaythreesalariescorrespondingtotheperiodbetweenMarchandMay2023aswellastherelevanthousingallowance;henceheheldhavinghadjustcausetoterminatetheContracton21Juneduetotheconsistencyofthesaidoutstandingdebts. 17.Accordingly,thePlayerlodgedacounterclaimagainsttheClubandrequestedtobeawardedatotalofUSD12,600asoutstandingremunerationplustherelevantdefaultinterest.ThePlayerdidnotmakeanyclaimregardingcompensationforbreachofcontract. c.Club’sreplytothecounterclaim 18.Inresponsetothecounterclaim,theClubmaintaineditspreviousallegations,insistinginparticularonhavingproperlyinformedallitsplayers(includingtheRespondent/Counterclaimant)abouttherelevanttrainingcampinEgyptaswellastheseveraldifficultiesrelatedtotheSudanesecivilwar. 19.Inthiscontext,theClubheldthatthePlayerhadclearlynointentiontomaintainanyemploymentrelationshipandopenlyrefusedtojointherelevanttrainingcampinEgyptinviolationofhisdutiesundertheContract,thusnotallowingtheClubtocomplywithitsfinancialobligationsinspiteofthefactthattherelevantpaymentshadbeengrantedbythelatterbymeansofletterdated9June2023.