Decisionofthe DisputeResolutionChamber passedon18October2023 regardinganemployment-relateddisputeconcerningtheplayerMarkoFutacs BY: FransDEWEGER(TheNetherlands),Chairperson PeterLUKASEK(Slovakia),member KhalidAWADALTHEBITY(SaudiArabia),member CLAIMANT: MarkoFutacs,Hungary RepresentedbyKristofWenczel RESPONDENT: IçelIdmanyurduSporKulübü,Türkiye RepresentedbyJuandeDiosCrespoPérez I.Factsofthecase 1.On13June2014,theHungarianplayerMarkoFutacs(hereinafter:thePlayerortheClaimant)andtheTurkishclub,MersinIdmanYurduSporKulübü(hereinafter:theDebtorClub)enteredanemploymentagreementvaliduntil31May2016. 2.Bymeansofdecision16-00445passedbytheFIFADisputeResolutionChamberon17August2017(hereinafter:theFIFADecision),theDebtorClubwasorderedtopaythefollowingsumstothePlayer: -EUR200,004within30daysasfromthedateofnotificationofthedecisionplusinterestattherateof5%p.a.asofexpiryofthedateoftheDecisionforoutstandingremuneration; -EUR133,336within30daysasfromthedateofnotificationoftheDecisionplusinterestattherateof5%p.a.asofexpiryofthedateoftheDecisionascompensationforbreachoftheContract. 3.On23August2018,duetothenon-complianceoftheDebtorClubwiththeFIFADecision,theFIFADisciplinaryCommitteeimposeddisciplinarysanctionsontheDebtorClub. 4.On18September2018,thePlayerandtheDebtorClubenteredintoafurtheragreement(hereinafter:theSettlementAgreement)bymeansofwhichtheDebtorClubundertooktopaytheoutstandingamountofEUR330,000inseveralinstalmentsasfollows: -EUR5,000by31January2019 -EUR5,000by30June2019 -EUR5,000by31November2019 -EUR2,500bythelastcalendardayofeachmonthcommencingfromDecember2019. 5.Inthiscontext,bymeansofletterdated8October2018withreferenceno.180356,theFIFADisciplinaryCommitteeinformedthePlayerthattherelevantproceedingagainsttheDebtorClubwouldhavebeenclosedfollowingtheSettlementAgreementandthat,accordingtotheFIFACircularno.1628of9May2018,anyfuturepotentialclaimresultingfromthebreachoftheaforementionedagreementsignedbythepartiesshouldhavebeenlodgedbeforethePlayers’StatusCommitteeorDisputeResolutionChamber,asapplicable,orbeforethecompetentbodiesatnationalorinternationallevelasmutuallyagreedbytheparties. 6.On30June2019,theDebtorClubwasofficiallydissolved. 7.On16September2019thePlayercontactedtheFIFADisciplinaryCommitteeinordertorequestare-openingoftherelevantprocedureagainsttheDebtorClubsincethelatterhadnotcompliedwiththeSettlementAgreement. 8.Inreplytotheabove,FIFADisciplinaryconfirmedthecontentofitspreviouscommunicationdated8October2018. 9.Bymeansofaletterdated6June2023,thePlayeraddressedtheTurkishclubIçelIdmanyurduSporKulübü,alsoknownasYeniMersinIdmanYurduAnonimŞirketi(hereinafter:theRespondent)astheallegedsportingsuccessoroftheDebtorClubandputtheRespondentindefaultofEUR330,000“inaccordancewiththeSettlementAgreementdated18September2018,concludedbetweenthePlayerandMersinIdmanYurduKulübü”. 10.On20June2023,theRespondentrepliedtothePlayer,arguingthatitwasnotthesportingsuccessoroftheDebtorClub,andcontextuallyreferringtoanotherTurkishclubnamedMersimTalimYurdu. II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 11.On14August2023,thePlayerfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionofthePlayer 12.AccordingtothePlayer,afterbeingdissolvedon30June2019,theDebtorClubmergedwiththeTurkishclubMersinTalimYurduSporKulübü,thuscreatinganewclubcalledMersinİdmanyurduFutbolA.S,i.e.,theRespondent. 13.Insupportofitsallegations,thePlayerhighlightedthattheDebtorClubandtheRespondentshareseveralelementsincommon,suchasthename,theteamcolors,thelogo,andstadium,whichinthePlayer’sopinionwouldrenderevidentthesportingsuccession. 14.Furthermore,thePlayerstatedthattheallegedsportingsuccessionoccurredwithouttemporalgaps,astheRespondentstarteditsfootball-relatedactivitiestheexactseasonfollowingthedissolutionandmergewiththeDebtorClub. 15.Accordingly,inthePlayer’sview,theRespondentshallbeconsideredthesportingsuccessoroftheDebtorClub,havinginheritedthelatter’shistoryandfanbase,thusbeingalsoliableforthefinancialobligationsderivingfromtherelevantSettlementAgreementdated18September2018. 16.TherequestsforreliefoftheClaimantwerethefollowing: -“todeclaretheRespondentClubasthe(legaland/orsporting)successoroftheDebtorClub; -toobligetheSuccessorClubofpaymentofthenetamount€330,000plusinterestattherateof5%p.a.commencingfromtheeffectivedateoftheSettlementAgreement(…); -alternatively,toobligetheSuccessorClubtothepaymentofthenetamount€135.000andadditionalmonthly€5.000,for39additionalmonthsplusinterestattherateof5%p.a.commencingfromtheeffectivedateofeachinstalmentinaccordancewiththeSettlementAgreement.” b.PositionoftheRespondent 17.Inresponsetotheclaim,theRespondentfirstlyarguedthatthePlayererroneouslyaddresseditasthesportingsuccessoroftheDebtorClub,whereasthishasbeensimplychangeditsnameintoMersinTalimYurdu,hencetherelevantclaimshouldhavebeenlodgedagainstthelatter. 18.Inthisrespect,theRespondentemphasizedthattherewasnopreviousdecisionconfirmingthesportingsuccessionallegedbythePlayer,hencetheRespondentwouldhavenostandingtobesued. 19.Incontinuati