Reis da Silva

Decisionofthe DisputeResolutionChamber passedon8November2023 regardinganemployment-relateddisputeconcerningtheplayerRogerioMiguelReisdaSilva BY: IñigoRiestra(Mexico) CLAIMANT: RogerioMiguelReisdaSilva,Portugal RepresentedbyLoizosHadjidemetriou RESPONDENT: Pegeia2014,Cyprus RepresentedbyPanayiotisGeorgiou I.Factsofthecase 1.On7August2022,thePortugueseplayerRogerioMiguelReisdaSilva(hereinafter:theClaimantorthePlayer)andtheCypriotclubPegeia2014(hereinafter:theRespondentortheClub)concludedanemploymentagreement(hereinafter:theContract). 2.Art.1oftheContractreadsinteraliaasfollows: 11.ThedurationofthisContractshallbefrom01/08/2022(date)until04/09/2023(date).(…) 1.3.ThePlayer'sgrossremunerationshallbeasfollows: 1.3.1.From31/08/2022until30/04/2023,amonthlygrosssalaryof€1300(€1036,10net). AlltaxespayabletotheTaxDepartment,aspertheapplicablelegislation,shallbepaidbytheClub, 1.4.Anyothergrosspaymentsandbonusesshallbepayableasfollows:THEREISNOT. 1.5.Anyotherbenefitsand/orallowances: THEREISNOT 3.On15July2023,theRespondentsendacorrespondencestatingthattheClaimantowedseveralamountsfordifferentconceptsandrequestedhimtopayEUR2,284.53within7days. II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 4.On16September2023,theClaimantfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionoftheClaimant 5.TheClaimantstatesthatthefactthattheContractdoesnotspecifyasalaryforMay,June,JulyandAugust2023iscontrarytotheCypruslegislationaswellastheFIFAregulationsandSwisslaw“andhenceillegal”. 6.TheClaimantsustainsthat“theCyprusGovernmenthasrecentlyimplementedanationalminimumsalaryforallfulltimeworkersinCyprus”. 7.Thus,theClaimantsustainsthatheisentitledtothesalariesofMay,June,JulyandAugust2023. 8.TheClaimantreferstotheletteroftheRespondentsenton15July2023andstatesthatitis“nothingmorethanamaliciousattempttoavoiditscontractualobligations”.InparticulartheClaimantstatesthat: TheRespondent’sallegationsthattheClaimantleftCypruswithoutsettlingtheutilitybillsandthathecauseddamagetotheapartmentprovidedtohimbytheRespondent,aretotallyabsurd.AsexpresslystatedintheCoE,clause1.4,theRespondentwastoprovidetheClaimantwithaccommodation.ItwasneveragreedthattheClaimantwouldhaveanycontractualobligationstowardstheRespondentinrespectofanyutilitybills.ThishasbeenthecasethroughouttheClaimant’semploymentbytheRespondentsincetheClaimanthadneverpaidorwasrequestedtopayanyutilitybills. TheRespondentisnotentitledtoanyamountsfromtheClaimantsincetheCoEdoesnotgivetherighttotheRespondenttowithholdanyamountsfromtheClaimant’ssalaryorpayanyexpensesonhisbehalfandthenrequestreimbursementoftheseexpensesbytheClaimant.Asexpresslystatedinart.232aoftheS.C.O.,anemployermaywithholdpartofthesalaryonlyifthisisallowedbyanindividuaorcollectiveagreementorcustom.Withholdingpartofanemployee’ssalaryisalsoprohibitedundertheCypruslawonProtectionofSalaries,whichalsoconstitutessuchwithholdingacriminaloffence. 9.TheClaimantfiledthefollowingrequestsforrelief: TheClaimantrequeststheFIFADRCtoordertheRespondenttopayhim,inthebankaccountsentattachedasexhibit2,thefollowingamounts: i.EUR1,036.10net,pluslegalinterestsince01/05/2023,untilfullsettlement. ii.EUR1,036.10netpluslegalinterestsince01/06/2023,untilfullsettlement. iii.EUR1,036.10netpluslegalinterestsince01/07/2023,untilfullsettlement. iv.EUR1,036.10netpluslegalinterestsince01/08/2023,untilfullsettlement. v.EUR1,036.10netpluslegalinterestsince01/09/2023,untilfullsettlement. b.PositionoftheRespondent 10.TheRespondentstatesthatthe2ndNationalDivisionofCyprusconsists“oftwophases:(a)regularseasonwhichtakesplacefromSeptembertoJanuary;(b)play-offandplay-outphasewhichtakesplacefromJanuaryto30Aprilofeachrespectiveyear.FollowingtheunprecedentexperienceofCovid-19pandemic,CFAstronglyrecommendstheclubsparticipatingin2ndNationalDivisiontoinclude30ofMayorevenJuneastheexpirydateoftheirrespectiveemploymentcontractsfortoavoidconfusingextensionsand/oramendmentsincaseofunforeseeableevents(i.e.,extensionofthesportingseasonasitdidhappenon2020).Nonetheless,thelastsalaryinstalmentoftheemployee’sremunerationisalwaysagreedtobepaidbynolaterthan30April,whichconstitutesthepracticalendofthesportingseasonoftheabove-mentionedleague.” 11.TheRespondentreferstothecorrespondenceof15July2023inwhichtheClubstatedthattheClaimantfailedtopaytheutilitybillsofhisapartmentanddidsomedamages.ThetotalsumofsuchbillsanddamagesamountedtoEUR2,284.53.TheRespondentinformedthatthisamountwasgoing tobedeductedbythelastinstalmentofPlayer’sremunerationwhichwaspayablebynolaterthan30April2023,aspertheContract.Therefore,thePlayerwasentitledsolelytotheamountofEUR984,53. 12.TheRespondentstatesthattheClubdidnotundertakeanyobligationrelatedtotheaccommodationofthePlayer.Assuch,thelattershallbeconsideredunequivocallyliableastotheutilitybillsduringthetermoftheEmploymentAgreement. 13.IntheviewoftheRespondentthedisputeshallberesolvedbasedontheprincipleofpactasuntservanda.Assuch,theClaimant’sconsiderationsregardingthenationallaw“shallberejectedasclearlyirrelevantandinapplicable”. 14.