112371

Decisionofthe Players’StatusChamber passedon6November2023 regardinganemployment-relateddisputeconcerningtheplayerA BY: JesúsARROYO(Spain) CLAIMANT: A,CountryA Representedby RESPONDENT: B,CountryB Representedby I.Factsofthecase 1.On8March2022,theCountryAcoachA(hereinafter:theClaimantortheCoach)andtheCountryBclubB(hereinafter:theRespondentortheClub)concludedanemploymentcontractvaliduntil30June2023. 2.Art.4oftheContractreadsinteraliaasfollows: 4.Basicsalary.TheFirstPartyshallpaytheSecondPartythefollowingmonthlysalariesforeachfootballseasonontheirduedateasdeniedbelow: 4.1Monthlysalary:USD21,500orEUR19,470netfromtaxesstartingfromMarch2022anduntilendofseason2022-2023 4.2TheFirstPartyshallpaytheSecondpartytheabove-mentionedamountsonthelastdayofeachmonth,netfromtaxes.Forthepurposesofthisclausesnetformtaxesmeansnetfromtaxes,socialsecurity,withholding,oranyothercontributionrelatedtotheCountryBLawonly. 3.On31January2023,thepartiesagreedtoterminatetheiremploymentrelationshipandconcludedasettlementagreement(hereinafter:theSettlement). “Bothpartiesagreedtoearlyterminatethecontractsignedbetweenthemon03.03.2022andtowaivealltheirrightsorcompensationsorwhatsoeverasaresultofthiscontractaccordingtothefollowingcondition: Thefirstpartyshallpaytothesecondpartythesoleamountof64,500USDollarsNet. TheFirstPartycommitteesitselftopaysuchamountinthreeinstalmentsasfollows,tobetransferredtotherespectiveaccountinxxx,accountnumber:xxx. 21,500US$Netwillbepaidin01.04.202321,500US$Netwillbepaidin01.05.202321,500US$Netwillbepaidin01.06.2023 Noneofthepartieshavetherighttoclaimforanyduesoradditionalcompensationsrathertheonementionedinthisagreement.” 4.On16March2023theRespondentpaidthefirstinstalmentundertheSettlement. 5.On12July2023,theClaimantsentanemailtotheRespondentstating:“RespectingtheClubandbecauseIhavebeenveryhappyandproudthere,Idon’twanttosuetheclub.Therefore,IreallyhopetheClubcanpaymeandIwillwaitforthetwopaymentsmissinguntilnextSeptember” II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 6.On23August2023,theClaimantfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionoftheClaimant 7.TheClaimantstatesthathe“hasobeyedandfulfilledhisemploymentcontractunderitstermsuntiltheendofit,i.e,untilJune30th,2023.” 8.TheClaimantarguesthathe“workedandfulfilledhispartofthe“EmploymentAgreement”areindebtandareduetotheClaimanttheamountsabovebetteridentified,inthetotalamountof$172.000,00netorEur.:155.760,00net”correspondingtothesalariesofNovember2022untilJune2023.” 9.TheClaimantfiledthefollowingrequestsforrelief: B”beorderedandcondemnedtopaytotheClaimant,A,thesumof$175.743,36(ONEHUNDRED,SEVENTY-FIVETHOUSAND,SEVENHUNDRED,FOURTY-THREEUSDOLLARSANDTHIRTY-THREECENTS)netorEur.:159.149,91(ONEHUNDRED,FIFTY-NINETHOUSAND,ONEHUNDRED,FOURTY- NINEEUROSANDNINETY-ONECENTS)net,plusinterestsdueforthedelayoftheagreedpaymentcalculatedfrom01.12.2022untilfullandeffectivepayment. b.PositionoftheRespondent 10.Initsreply,theRespondentstatesthatthepartiesagreedon31January223toterminatetheiremploymentrelationshipandconcludedtheSettlement. 11.TheRespondentstatesthat“InblatantbadfaiththeCoachhidtoFIFAPSCthemutualterminationoftheEmploymentContractwiththeregrettableaimtoobtainahigheramountwithoutanyrighttoclaimit.” 12.IntheviewoftheRespondent,theclaimoftheCoachmustbedeclaredinadmissiblebecause: (i)itisbasedonaninvalidand\ornullandvoidContract; (ii)ithasnotputindefaulttheClubbeforetolodgetheclaimbeforetheFIFATribunal,inviolationofFIFARSTP. 13.TheRespondentfiledthefollowingrequestsforrelief: theRespondentrespectfullyrequeststheFIFAPSC: a)todeclareinadmissibletheClaimfiledbyMr.A;inanycase, b)torejectinfulltheClaimfiledbyMr.A. c)toapplyanyothermeasureitconsidersnecessaryinthedecisionofthecaseatstake. c.ReplicaoftheClaimant 14.TheClaimantadmittedtheconclusionoftheSettlementandstatesthattheRespondent“failedwiththepaymentofthesecondandthethirdinstalments,intheamountof$21.500,00net,each,dueon01.05.2023andon01.06.2023”. 15.TheClaimantsustainsthatduetohistraveltoCountryA,helosthiscopyoftheSettlement. 16.IntheviewoftheClaimant,hewas“forced,byFIFARegulations,tolodgeanewclaimbeforeFIFATribunalagainsttheRespondent,underthetermsinwhichitwasdoneinthepresentcase,solelytoguaranteehisbestinterestsandthetruth!” 17.TheClaimantamendedhisrequestsforreliefasfollows: The“B,beorderedandcondemnedtopaytotheClaimant,A,thetotalsumof$43.792,26(FOURTY-THREETHOUSAND,SEVENHUNDRED,NINETY-TWOUSDOLLARSANDTWENTY-SIXCENTS)net,plus interestsdueforthedelayoftheagreedpaymentcalculatedfrom01.05.2023untilfullandeffectivepayment. d.DuplicaoftheRespondent 18.TheRespondentstressesthattheClaimanthasnotattachedanyproofinrelationtothealleged“lostofthephysicaldocument”norhasneverrequestedacopyoftheContracttotheRespondent. 19.TheRespondentunderlinesthattheClaimanthadtoindicatetheabovecircumstance–iftrue–atthemomentoffilinghisClaimandnotonlyaftertheRespondent’sobjections. 20.TheRespondentfurtherstatesthattheCoach,bymeansofhisemail,senttotheClubon12July2023expresslyconfirmedhisavailabilityto