Marinov1

Decisionofthe PlayersStatusChamber passedon24October2023 regardingacontractualdisputeconcerningthematchagentEvgeniMarinov BY: LouisEVERARD(Netherlands),SingleJudge CLAIMANT: EvgeniMarinov,Bulgaria RepresentedbyGeorgiGradev RESPONDENT: FederaciónVenezolanadeFútbol,VEN-Venezuela RepresentedbyOscarCuntoAndré I.Factsofthecase 1.On25January2023,theBulgarianMatchAgent,EvgeniMarinov(hereinafter:theClaimant),andtheVenezuelanassociationFederaciónVenezolanadeFútbol(hereinafter:theRespondent)signedamatchagentcontract(hereinafter:theContract)fortheRespondent’sparticipationinafriendlytournamentorganizedbytheClaimantinAlanya,Turkeybetween13and22February2023(hereinafter:theTournament). 2.Underclause1.1.oftheContract,theRespondentagreedtoparticipateintheTournament withitsWomen’sNationalTeam(hereinafter:theTeam). 3.Underclause2oftheContract,theClaimantundertook,interalia,toarrange“threematches duringtheTournamentwithFIFAreferees(…)”fortheTeamonbehalfoftheRespondent. 4.Underclause3.2inconjunctionwithclause4.1oftheContract,thetotalamountduetotheClaimantundertheContractwasEUR37,080(hereinafter:theContractFee)payableintwoequalinstalments: (i)EUR18,540payable“within4daysaftersigningthecontract”;and (ii)EUR18,540payable“bynolaterthanFebruary10,2023”. 5.Clause6.1oftheContractprovidesthefollowing: “Thiscontractcannotbeprematurely,unilaterallyterminatedwithoutjustcausebeforetheexpiryofitsterm,saveforthefollowingcases: a)bymutualconsent; b)duetoforcemajeure,asdetailedinclause7below.” 6.Clause6.2oftheContractestablishesthefollowingpenaltyclause(hereinafter:thePenaltyClause): “Incaseorpremature,unilateralterminationofthiscontractwithoutjustcause,thepartyinbreachshallimmediatelypaycompensationtotheinjuredone,amountingtoEUR26,000(twentysixthousandEuros).Thecompensationshallbepaidonanetbasis,freeofanytaxation(includinganyVAT).ThePartiesexplicitlyagreethatnoadjustmentshallapply.Aninterestrateof15%peryearshallapplyincaseofpaymentdelay.Theinjuredpartymustissueaninvoice.Claimsfordamagesbasedonotherlegalgrounds(e.g.,iftheinjuredpartyisnolongerinapositiontofulfilitsobligationstowardsthirdpartiesduetothebreach)remainreserved.” 7.Clause7.1oftheContractprovidesthefollowing: “[Respondent]mayterminatethisagreementwithimmediateeffectuponnoticetotheMatchAgentifthereisaneventofforcemajeure(forexample,fire,explosion,earthquake)thatpreventsthestagingofthematch”. 8.On28January2023thefirstinstalmentoftheContractFeebecamedueandwasnotpaidbytheRespondent. 9.On6February2023,anearthquakehitthesouth-easternpartofTurkey(hereinafter:theEarthquake). 10.On7February2023,theClaimantinquiredwiththeTurkishFootballFederation(hereinafter:theTFF)abouttheconsequencesoftheEarthquakeontheTournament. 11.Onthesameday,theTFFrepliedthatitwillbewithdrawingitsteamfromtheTournamentbutthattheClaimant“(…)cancontinuewiththetournamentorganization.Therefereeappointmentsaremadeandthedetailswillbesentsoon.” 12.On8February2023,theRespondentformallyinformedtheClaimantthattheTeamwillnotbeparticipatingintheTournamentduetothe“(…)unfortunateeventsthatrecentlyoccurredinTurkeyandSyria,countriesthatwerehitbyastrongearthquakethatstillcontinuestoleavelossesandconsequencesinthepopulation.” 13.Onthesameday,theClaimantinformedtheRespondentofthefollowingviaaletter: (i)pursuanttoclause4.1oftheContract,itisobligedtopay“50%ofthecontractfee bythe1stofFebruary2023”;and (ii)shoulditinsistonterminatingtheContract,pursuanttothePenaltyClause,itisobligedtopay“thepenaltyintheamountof€26,000(twenty-sixthousandeuros),plus15%annualinterest”. 14.Continuingthecorrespondenceonthesameday,theRespondentnotifiedtheClaimantviaaletter(hereinafter:theTerminationLetter)thatitisunilaterallyterminatingtheContractwithimmediateeffectpursuanttoclauses6.1and7oftheContractdueto“unsafeenvironmenttoourplayersandstaff”. II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 15.On20April2023,theClaimantfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionoftheClaimant 16.AccordingtotheClaimant,theEarthquakewasnottobeconsideredasaforcemajeure eventonthebasisofwhichtheRespondentcanterminatetheContractwithjustcause. 17.InviewoftheClaimant,theContractcanbeterminatedonthebasisofitscontractualforcemajeureclause7.1wheretheRespondent“(…)mayterminatethisagreementwithimmediateeffectuponnoticetotheMatchAgentifthereisaneventofforcemajeure(forexample,fire,explosion,earthquake)thatpreventsthestagingofthematch”. 18.However,theClaimantarguedthatpursuanttoestablishedCASjurisprudenceinCAS2021/A/7816,para.67forforcemajeuretoexist,theremustbeanobjective(ratherthanpersonal)impedimentbeyondthecontrolofthe“obligedparty”thatisunforeseeable,thatcannotberesistedandthatrenderstheperformanceoftheobligationimpossible. 19.Further,theClaimantreferredthatunderarticle13paragraph5oftheProceduralRulesGoverningtheFootballTribunal(hereinafter:theProceduralRules),apartythatassertsafactmustproveit,i.e.anypartyderivingarightfromanallegedfactshallcarrytheburdenofproof. 20.IntheviewoftheClaimant,theRespondentdidnotprovethattheEarthquakeinadi