Marinov2

Decisionofthe PlayersStatusChamber passedon24October2023 regardingacontractualdisputeconcerningthematchagentEvgeniMarinov BY: LouisEVERARD(Netherlands),SingleJudge CLAIMANT: EvgeniMarinov,Bulgaria RepresentedbyGeorgiGradev RESPONDENT: JordanFootballFederation,JFA-Jordan RepresentedbyFuadQaradeh I.Factsofthecase 1.On15January2023,theBulgarianMatchAgent,EvgeniMarinov(hereinafter:theClaimant),andtheJordanFootballFederation(hereinafter:theRespondent)signedamatchagentcontract(hereinafter:theContract)fortheRespondent’sparticipationinafriendlytournamentorganizedbytheClaimantinAlanya,Turkeybetween13and22February2023(hereinafter:theTournament). 2.Underclause1.1.oftheContract,theRespondentagreedtoparticipateintheTournamentwithitsWomen’sNationalTeam(hereinafter:theTeam). 3.Underclause2oftheContract,theClaimantundertook,interalia,toarrange“threematchesduringtheTournamentwithFIFAreferees(…)”fortheTeamonbehalfoftheRespondent. 4.Underclause3.2inconjunctionwithclause4.1oftheContract,thetotalamountduetotheClaimantundertheContractwasEUR27,720(hereinafter:theContractFee)payableintwoequalinstalments: (i)EUR13,860payable“withinoneweekfromthesignaturedate”;and (ii)EUR13,860payable“bynolaterthanFebruary17,2023”. 5.Clause6.1oftheContractprovidesthefollowing: “Thiscontractcannotbeprematurely,unilaterallyterminatedwithoutjustcausebeforetheexpiryofitsterm,saveforthefollowingcases: a)bymutualconsent; b)duetoforcemajeure,asdetailedinclause7below.” 6.Clause6.2oftheContractestablishesthefollowingpenaltyclause(hereinafter:thePenaltyClause): “Incaseorpremature,unilateralterminationofthiscontractwithoutjustcause,thepartyinbreachshallimmediatelypaycompensationtotheinjuredone,amountingtoEUR27,000(twentyseventhousandEuros).Thecompensationshallbepaidonanetbasis,freeofanytaxation(includinganyVAT).ThePartiesexplicitlyagreethatnoadjustmentshallapply.Aninterestrateof15%peryearshallapplyincaseofpaymentdelay.Theinjuredpartymustissueaninvoice.Claimsfordamagesbasedonotherlegalgrounds(e.g.,iftheinjuredpartyisnolongerinapositiontofulfilitsobligationstowardsthirdpartiesduetothebreach)remainreserved.” 7.Clause7.1oftheContractprovidesthefollowing: “[Respondent]mayterminatethisagreementwithimmediateeffectuponnoticetotheMatchAgentifthereisaneventofforcemajeure(forexample,fire,explosion,earthquake)thatpreventsthestagingofthematch”. 8.On1February2023,thefirstinstalmentoftheContractFee(i.e.EUR13,860)becamedueandwaspaidbytheRespondent. 9.On6February2023,anearthquakehitthesouth-easternpartofTurkey(hereinafter:theEarthquake). 10.On7February2023,theClaimantinquiredwiththeTurkishFootballFederation(hereinafter:theTFF)abouttheconsequencesoftheEarthquakeontheTournament. 11.Onthesameday,theTFFrepliedthatitwillbewithdrawingitsteamfromtheTournamentbutthattheClaimant“(…)cancontinuewiththetournamentorganization.Therefereeappointmentsaremadeandthedetailswillbesentsoon.” 12.On12February2023,theRespondentformallyinformedtheClaimantthattheTeamwillnotbeparticipatingintheTournamentduetothe“(…)inlightofthecontinuingaftershocksindifferentcitiesandthestateofemergencyandconsideringthesafetyofourdelegationweregrettoinformyouthatJFAhasnochoicebuttowithdrawfromparticipatingintheTurkishWomen’sCup2023-Alanya.Thankyouforyourkindunderstandingasthisforcemajeuresituationisbeyondourcontrol.” II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 13.On20April2023,theClaimantfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionoftheClaimant 14.AccordingtotheClaimant,thepartiessignedtheContract,and,thereforetheRespondenthasstandingtobesued.Indeed,theRespondentratifiedtheContractwhenon1February2023thefirstinstalmentoftheContractFee(i.e.EUR13,860)becamedueandwaspaidbytheRespondentpayingtotheClaimant. 15.AccordingtotheClaimant,theEarthquakewasnottobeconsideredasaforcemajeure eventonthebasisofwhichtheRespondentcanterminatetheContractwithjustcause. 16.InviewoftheClaimant,theContractcanbeterminatedonthebasisofitscontractualforcemajeureclause7.1wheretheRespondent“(…)mayterminatethisagreementwithimmediate effectuponnoticetotheMatchAgentifthereisaneventofforcemajeure(forexample,fire,explosion,earthquake)thatpreventsthestagingofthematch”. 17.However,theClaimantarguedthatpursuanttoestablishedCASjurisprudenceinCAS2021/A/7816,para.67forforcemajeuretoexist,theremustbeanobjective(ratherthanpersonal)impedimentbeyondthecontrolofthe“obligedparty”thatisunforeseeable,thatcannotberesistedandthatrenderstheperformanceoftheobligationimpossible. 18.Further,theClaimantreferredthatunderarticle13paragraph5oftheProceduralRulesGoverningtheFootballTribunal(hereinafter:theProceduralRules),apartythatassertsafactmustproveit,i.e.anypartyderivingarightfromanallegedfactshallcarrytheburdenofproof. 19.IntheviewoftheClaimant,theRespondentdidnotprovethattheEarthquakeinadifferentregionfromtheTournamentconstitutesaforcemajeureeventastherewasnoobjectiveimpedimentbeyondthecontroloftheRespondentthatwasunforeseeable,thatcouldnotberesisted,andthatrenderedtheparticipationorthestagingofthematchesimpossibleorp